To Understand
by CyanideSonnets
Summary: Harry and Ginny are transported back to 1975 and take the risky decision to stay. However what will happen when Harry is placed somewhere unexpected and nobody quite understands the full picture...? Set after HBP. HPGW and other pairings.
1. Chapter 1 : Shocked on arrival

_Disclaimer : I AM NOT JK ROWLING AND DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS!! just so I've got that straight..._

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_TO UNDERSTAND_

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'_**This isn't happening. This is NOT HAPPENING!'**_

'_**Ginny are you okay?'**_

'**_Oh yeah Harry… I'M BLOODY WONDERFUL!'_**

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**Chapter 1 : Shocked on Arrival.**

WHAM!

'OW!' I yelled as I hit the ground.

'Harry, are you there?' grunted the girl next to me and I scrambled up quickly picking her up onto her feet. 'Where are we?' she asked confused.

Oh shit. The order is going to kill me. We were only trying to make a 'finding' spell and what happens? A big bang, a poof and now me and Ginny Weasley just so happen to end up in . . . well actually I have no idea where we are! However by the look of those trees, that lawn and the enormous castle perched on that mountain I'm gonna take a guess at-

'Hogwarts?!?' screeched the red head beside me causing a wave of pain over my already pounding head ache. 'WHY ARE WE IN HOGWARTS?!?'

'I have no idea. . .' I whispered quietly, taking in the surroundings that I hadn't seen for near on a month now. Not since . . . not since Dumbledore's funeral.

'Well ok.' I said calmly 'we're . . . we're just going to have to say calm and . . . and go find someone to help us get back. McGonagall will probably be up in her office right now and can floo us both back. . . No big deal!'

'No big deal?' Ginny growled beside me and I cowered slightly 'NO BIG DEAL!?! MUM IS GOING TO KILL ME!! WE DESTROYED THE KITCHEN!! WRECKED SUNDAY LUNCH AND NOW HAVE _SOMEHOW _MANAGED TO TRANSPORT OURSELVES ABOUT 700 MILES ACROSS BRITAIN!!'

'WELL THERES NO NEED TO GET ALL UPSET ABOUT IT IS THERE!'

'Hmm, let me think about this . . . YES!'

She stormed away from me her fists clenched, dusting flour violently from her old dungarees and began to jog impatiently up to the castle.

'Ginny wait!' I yelled exasperated and began to sprint after her.

All me and Ginny had done together all the summer I'd stayed at the Weasley's was argue. Whenever we seemed to be having a good time together it would seem to tail off into an awkward silence so one of us would instantly start a petty row over nothing at all. I guess it's just her way of . . . of getting the thought of me as 'more than a friend' out of her head. She'd avoided me when I'd come back from the Dursleys and I suppose arguing is better than aching after her all the time… Sitting opposite her at dinner and not being able to smile at her and flirt like we used to, is agony. It's cruel. That's partly why Hermione, Ron and me are setting off to find the horcruxes tomorrow. We're going to set off really early so no-one can stop us as Remus has been threatening to and as we know Mrs Weasley will. A bit cowardly I know but . . . It's also the easiest. This way I won't have to say goodbye to anyone and we'll all leave on good terms…all apart from me and Ginny, which I know I'll regret. However things are better this way. She could never come with me to . . . well to kill Voldemort. I don't know what lies ahead but no way am I just going to just let her wander into the line of fire. If Voldemort ever got his hands on her, I'd never forgive myself … But that won't happen. I won't _let_ it happen...

I caught up to her as we reached the front doors and with a glance at each other, shoved them open.

'Where do we go now?' she asked 'Headmistress' office?'

It sounded weird to hear the word headmistress and not 'master'

'I guess. Come on'

We'd only taken a few steps when a familiar smell filled my nostrils; the smell of Hogwarts when the school is _full_. This castle has been empty for weeks and even before then there weren't that many inhabitants! Since so many kids had left to go back to their families, the castle mostly smelt of rock and musty wood but now it smelt of cooking and teenagers, when it most defiantly shouldn't... I looked around the entrance hall and found that the dents left from the last battle with the deatheaters had gone. They couldn't have fixed them so quickly could they? Ginny had started to notice too and stared around the hall.

'Harry what's going on-?'

A loud bell began ringing, the one usually signalling the students to move but there aren't any students _too_ move. Hogwarts had to be closed and it's the summer holidays for god's sake! A loud rumbling of feet, chatter and scraping of chairs filled the room and soon about 40 kids started trooping up from the dungeons. Ginny moved closer to me as I shook my head disbelievingly.

'Hey James!' waved one boy who was wearing Ravenclaw robes 'Good luck for the match next week!'

'Um thanks.' I said weakly. James?!?

'Lily!' shouted a Hufflepuff girl coming up behind Ginny 'Hey Lily- Oh! Sorry! I thought you were someone else…'

The girl blushed and walked back to her friends, heading into the great hall.

'Lily?' hushed Ginny biting her lip. 'Harry what's going on?'

'I don't know' I replied 'but we've just been called James and Lily. Bit of a coincidence?'

'There aren't supposed to be kids here Harry. The school is closed!'

'Apparently not.' I said my mind running in circles. Lily and James? That's _too_ much of a coincidence…

'Let's go to McGonagall, she'll explain.' I said trying to keep calm.

We started to climb up the main staircase and were again bombarded with calls of:

'James!'

'Hey Potter!'

'How you doing, Captain?'

Ginny grabbed my arm and we ran the rest of the way, shoving through the crowds. We both stood out wearing denim and t-shirts, pushing through the sea of black and received many strange looks and a reprimand from a 7th year wearing a prefect badge. We eventually reached the corridor with the large stone gargoyle standing guard and gasped catching our breaths. Ginny realised she was still clutching my elbow and let go hastily. Another boy wearing Gryffindor robes walked up beside us with his hands in his pocket. He was popping chewing gum in his mouth and mmust have been about 17.

'What cha' get caught doing this time Potter?' he asked me, grinning 'Not gone an' stuck Snape's ed' in a cauldron again av' ya'?'

'What?' I asked.

Did he just say Snape?!?

'Well I gotta admit the last time ya' did it, it were bloody hilarious!'

The boy started laughing happily and I exchanged bewildered looks with Ginny.

'So, what _did_ ya' do then? Must ta' bin pretty bad to be up in front of old Dumbledore!'

Both our jaws dropped.

'Don't you mean McGonagall?' asked Ginny politely. Surely this boy was mistaken…

'No…' He replied slowly. 'Her office is down't hall last time I checked! Did _she_ send you ere' then?'

What's going on? Dumbledore? Dumbledore is dead! Surely this kid knows! Everyone knows! I looked at Ginny who was looking pretty scared now; she looked up at the boy quickly as an expression of wild understanding crossed her face.

'What year is it?' she blurted

'What cha' on about?'

'What year is it!?!'

'1975 duh!'

We both froze. WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!?

'They were calling you James . . . 'whispered Ginny

'Lily and James...' I murmered in shock 'They're here aren't they? My parents are alive and it's 1975.'

'This is insane Harry. This can't be right!'

'What other explanation is there?'

'This is a joke! This isn't _real_!'

The boy beside us was looking at us strangely and for the first time I looked at him closely .There was something familiar…

'Frank..?'

'Yeah...' He replied uneasily

'Frank... Longbottom?'

Ginny gasped beside me.

'Now I dunno what's up wit' you today James Potter but you better get your ed' in gear for the match next week I should tell ya'!' The boy glanced at us once more before turning around and stalking off. 'I'll ask Sirius to knock some sense inta ya'!'

Ginny stared after the boy before swivelling round to me.

'Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.' She started chanting holding her hands to her forehead. 'This isn't happening. This is NOT HAPPENING!'

My mind was numb. _How_ had this happened? _How_ had we managed this?

'Ginny are you okay?' I said concerned as she began pacing in circles.

'oh _yeah_ Harry… _I'M BLOODY WONDERFUL_!' she yelled at me.

'Okay… We need to sort this out-'

'Harry we're stuck! We're possibly in the biggest _shit_ we have _ever_ been in. WE'VE GONE BACK IN TIME FOR GOD'S SAKE!'

'Ginny don't panic-'

'WHAT _ELSE_ IS THERE TO DO?'

She stood there glaring at me and when I didn't answer turned and stared out the window.

'Ginny we don't even know for sure if we _are_ back in time...'

'Well how do you explain the two hundred teenagers walking around the place and everyone calling you James, Harry? Because I think this has gone too far to be a joke somehow…'

I sighed. There _was_ only one explanation. That _somehow_ we'd managed to travel through time and across hundreds of miles of Britain…. Oh shit…. _We are in so much trouble_…

'Well what do we do now?' she asked, her voice shaking 'Go to Dumbledore? I mean he's alive now, apparently…'

'No' I replied, it would just be too …weird to talk to Dumbledore. I saw him die only a month ago… Anyway the Dumbledore of 1975 will just think we're mad and tell us to go back to our dormitory… Although knowing him maybe he won't. 'No we can't.' I said finally.

'Then what do you suggest Harry?' she said faintly, sitting on the window sill.

Right, um… Let's think about this… We're both stuck in 1975. There is no way at present that I can think of, of getting back to 1997. Apart from telling Dumbledore…However in all probability this potion will wear off pretty soon anyway!

'Well?' she said 'Any ideas?'

'We could wait it out…' I shrugged. 'Wait until the potion wears off. It's bound to at some point…'

She looked up at me with her eyebrows furrowed.

'But how long will that take?'

'I don't know…'

'So we'd have to stay here?'

'I guess…'

She blew a long low whistle.

'That's going to be risky Harry…'

'But it's the only thing we _can_ do…and until one of us thinks of _another_ way home… I think it's best to stay where we are.'

'I guess that makes sense…Anyway it'll be good for you to stay…'

'Why?' I asked and she looked up smiling.

'You'll get to meet your parents Harry.' She said softly.

Oh yeah… They're here now aren't they? The 17 year old versions of Lily Evans and James Potter! Sirius is here! Remus! I'll get to meet them all! A strange feeling was welling in my throat…I'd get to see my parents!

A sudden thought struck me. It's 1975. The 1st war has started.

'Ginny I'm actually not so sure about this.' I said suddenly. 'It'll be dangerous. We're probably slap bang in the middle of the first war! There are still deatheaters around and Voldemort is probably at full strength.'

'No different from the place we just left then…'

I guess not.

'Ginny are you sure-'

'No Harry. Not really. But we're at Hogwarts; probably the only safe place in Britain and Voldemort is not the only person who's at full strength. Dumbledore's still here and he's the only one You-Know-Who was ever scared of…'

She has a fair point there.

'It can't harm to stay here for a little bit, can it? We'll get in Gryffindor and you'll meet your parents... We'll see Sirius in his prime, before Azkaban.'

She's right. This is an opportunity that I'll probably never get again…But still, what about Ginny? I can't just drag her into a different time and take her away from her family. The Order, her mum and Ron would kill me. It's not fair to risk this with her.

'Ginny you can't.' I said firmly. 'It's too dangerous. If I stayed here I'd only be risking my life but I can't risk you! You can't stay here; we need to get you back to the Order.'

Her jaw dropped.

'What?!? You really think you can just whisk me off home! No _way_ are you just going to stay here while I have to explain to the Order what _the chosen one_ has decided to do now! 'I'm _sorry_ everyone but Harry has taken up residence back at Hogwarts … Oh sorry I forget to mention that it's the Hogwarts of 1975...' Oh yeah, I bet that'll go down well!'

'Ginny you can't-'

'Harry I can and I will. If you're staying then I'm staying. End of story.'

She stood defiantly in front of me with her arms folded and a scowl on her face. I couldn't help but admire her stubbornness even though it would probably get us into a whole lot of trouble somehow.

'Fine.' I said reluctantly, feeling the weight of her safety begin to rest on my shoulders. '1975 here we come. So what do we do now?'

'Get sorted I guess.' She said shrugging 'We'll need to enrol here.'

I began to walk up to the gargoyle when Ginny grabbed the back of my shirt.

'What are you doing?' she asked

'Going to Dumbledore…' I said slowly.

'Looking like that?' she said with her eyebrows raised.

I stared glumly down at my ancient jeans and t-shirt that were faded and ripped in a few places. I guess going up to the Headmaster dressed like this wouldn't be the best of ideas.

'Fine.' I sighed 'then what do you suggest?'

She smirked and grabbed my arm pulling me off back down the corridor.

We didn't meet many people on the way as they were all now in lessons but every now and then a random straggler would wave at me happily or flick their middle finger if they were in Slytherin… Guess nothing's changed there then.

I turned a corner and my mind wandered back to the boy we'd met in front of the gargoyle...

Frank Longbottom. That boy is Neville's dad. I've seen him once before, looking gaunt and dishevelled at a permanent ward at St Mungo's. In about 7 years time Frank Longbottom and his wife will be tortured by deatheaters to get information on Voldemort. The torturing-by way of the cruciatus curse-will be so severe that they'll lose their minds, leaving their baby son Neville to be brought up by his Grandmother…All for the cause of Lord Voldemort... 3 lives _ruined_ for the cause of Lord… bloody… Voldemort... And who were the people who wielded the wands that drove the Longbottoms insane? They were Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange and Bartimus Crouch. Evil pieces of scum that were then sent to Azkaban for their crimes, though none of them served their full sentences. Bartimus escaped and went on to rejoin his 'Master' killing his father and trying to murder me... Though I guess he got what he deserved. He caused the Longbottoms to lose their minds but in the end he lost his _soul..._

Bellatrix and Rodolphus were 'liberated' by their 'Lord' and went on to join the plan to get hold of the prophecy. They failed in getting that little glass sphere as ironically enough Neville Longbottom smashed it by accident, thwarting his parent's killers. Though Bellatrix still managed to kill Sirius Black, her cousin and hated blood traitor. He was my godfather and the closest I've ever really got to a Father or Brother in this twisted world. God I hate her so much... I haven't seen her since the night Snape killed Dumbledore. Murdered Dumbledore…

I bet she's here at Hogwarts now with her leering future spouse. A happy 17 year old with a grudge against muggleborns, a _perfect_ little Slytherin…

'_Alohamora_' muttered Ginny beside me pointing at a door I didn't recognise and I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

'Ginny where are we?' I asked confused as the door opened with a satisfying click.

She turned to me and grinned as a feeling of apprehension settled in my stomach. Where are we going?

'You'll see.' She said mysteriously and shoved open the door…

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Hey, I hope you liked it as this is my first Fan-Fic and I worked pretty hard on it. However I am always open to Critism but if you do decide to critisise it then please make it constructive! No just saying that it's 'crap' or so on...You must have a specified _reason _to say if it's crap! Lol. Anyway please review with any comments you may want to post! Thanks for reading. 

Cyanide Sonnets.

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	2. Chapter 2 : Changes in the Laundry Room

_Disclaimer : I'm not JK Rowling just simply jealous of her. lol._

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_TO UNDERSTAND_

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'_**Ginny have you done this before?'**_

'_**Of course I have...On a puffskein!'**_

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**Chapter 2 : Changes in the Laundry room.**

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She shoved me inside and my jaw dropped. It was a huge room that I'd never set foot in before and was really quite astounding, since from the front it only looked like a broom closet. There were hundreds of houselves milling around all dressed in the customary teacloth, piles of laundry stacked up in their arms. The ceiling was lost in a huge cloud of soap suds as rows of what seemed like muggle washing machines lined the room, though each whirring contraption was about the size of a small lorry. I ran my hand over a giant button on the front of a machine and it gave a loud belch spewing bubbles out a pipe in the top and letting them float up to join the giant soap sud cloud. A huge wheel was spinning above our heads clearing a hole in the enormous cloud, whipping what seemed like black Hogwarts uniforms round and round drying them off. The whole operation seemed to be connected to a giant hamster wheel in the corner with about 50 houselves running about inside keeping the whole thing moving quickly. I watched as one houself jumped out to be immediately replaced by a second waiting elf.

I bet Hermione would have an absolute field day if she saw this. She'd get SPEW on the case before you could even say 'slave labour'…

'Time to get a uniform.' said Ginny walking over to a nearby pile. 'There we go!' she said happily, tossing me a plain set of robes and black shoes. 'These will do fine.'

She began to walk off carrying her own uniform.

'Where're you going?' I shouted after her.

'To get changed, you stay there!'

Oh. Better not follow her then. I ripped off my grubby t-shirt and began to change.

So we're going to be sorted again. Oh that'll be fun. That stupid hat trying to convince me that _Slytherin is my destiny_ all over again… Guess I'll be in Gryffindor with Ginny. I'll probably be in a dorm with my Dad, Sirius, Remus and Peter…the rat...the boy that will rat out my parents to Voldemort, knowing full well that he would kill my family. The traitor that framed Sirius and sent him off to Azkaban for 12 years while posing as my best friend's pet in a perfect position to kill me. The turncoat that tied me to a gravestone cut my arm and lopped his whole hand off to resurrect Voldemort. The _bastard_ who I saved from being murdered by his two best friends when he deserved to be blown to bits…and the boy that I'll have to sleep next to for however long we're stuck here while knowing what he'll become… Oh how _fun_. He was my parent's secret keeper and he told Voldemort exactly where to find them… Though I suppose Voldemort wouldn't have had a reason to kill my parents if it hadn't been for another traitor. Severus Snape. Murderer of Dumbledore and my potions teacher for 6 years... He told Voldemort the prophecy. He gave him a motive. He and Peter Pettigrew ruined my life! Snape is here too, he's at Hogwarts right now, right within my grasp. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Snape and Peter all under one roof, all totally oblivious to the events to come… Thinking about it, many deatheaters are going to be here. Amycus, Alecto, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy…all life wreckers. All in Slytherin, apart from Peter the odd one out… Dumbledore once told me that one day I'd be thankful I saved Peter… though so far he's been wrong…very wrong indeed.

'Harry?'

'Oh hey.' I said, turning to see her dressed and ready. She smiled in my direction but then stared at me as though something was wrong.

'Are you okay?' she asked concerned.

'Um, yeah. Why shouldn't I be?'

She furrowed her brow and looked at me worridly

'You just had a weird look on your face…'

Did I?

'Oh. Sorry I was far away…'

Lost in old regrets and bittersweet memories...

She didn't seem consoled and stared at me as though trying to read my mind until shaking herself slightly and clapping, breaking into another smile.

'So, I guess we'd better do something about your appearance then!'

I did a double take.

'Sorry, what?'

She laughed.

'You can't go walking round looking like a clone of James Potter! It'll just cause problems! People will ask questions. Questions we want to avoid.'

'Oh okay.'

'We can't let _anyone _find out _anything_ about the future. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Got it?'

'Okay.'

'If we do, we could change time! Change events! Cause chaos! Hermione even said something about the apocalypse! We CANNOT risk ANYTHING-'

'Ginny I get it!'

She looked me up and down as I sighed impatiently and eventually she seemed satisfied.

'Alright then.' She said cracking her knuckles. 'Get a chair and… I'll see what I can do.'

I rolled my eyes at the seriousness of it all and grabbed a stool that looked like it was built for a six year old. I pushed my hands down on it and it creaked a bit but overall seemed sturdy. I placed my backside on it gingerly and rested my hands on my knees that were now inline with my chin!

'Right then Mr Potter.' said Ginny as she circled the stool slowly, tapping her wand into her palm. 'I guess we're going to have to dye your hair.'

For the first time I began to feel nervous.

'And I guess we're going to have to try and get it as contrasting to black as we can…I suggest…'

I waited for the verdict with little enthusiasm.

'Blonde.' she said simply.

'NO WAY!' I exploded.

'Harry _please_ be reasonable-'

'REASONABLE!?! I AM NOT GOING TO WALK AROUND LOOKING LIKE A BLOODY MALFOY! OKAY?!? SO SCRATCH THAT IDEA _OFF_ THE LIST!'

I sat there fuming and she sighed as though dealing with a petulant child.

'Harry calm down for god's sake! It wouldn't be platinum blonde just a nice…honey blonde.'

'Yeah, well, you can shove your _honey blonde_ right up your-'

'You're being _childish_!'

'Yeah well I'll be anything but _blonde_!'

She made a frustrated sound and sat down next to a giant iron.

'Then what do _you_ suggest?' she said angrily.

'I don't know.' I said stubbornly. 'Can't I just go…Your colour?'

'Nope, too much like your mum's hair colour. People are already calling me Lily. My hair will have to change too.'

'Well…Dark brown?'

'No. We need to go lighter to make you look different from your dad.'

'Light brown?'

'Oh Harry be a little bit adventurous. We can practically look like whatever we want here. Nobody is going to know us and we'll be going home in a while anyway…'

'Blue, then.'

She looked at me with total venom.

'You are _impossible_ sometimes!'

'You said to be adventurous!'

'But not stupid!'

'Yeah well you _were_ trying to turn me blonde…'

She gave me the evil look again.

'Was that meant to be funny Harry Potter because if it was-'

'It wasn't meant to be funny!' I said quickly, avoiding the death glare.

She sighed again and began to pace up and down biting her lip.

'What's wrong…?' I said carefully, not wanting to incur the wrath of Ginny Weasley again in a hurry.

'It's just…It's just that if someone recognises the resemblance between you and your dad Harry… It could lead to big trouble.' She looked at me and I saw her eyes actually filling up with tears, a guilty feeling now settling in my stomach. 'I wouldn't ask you to change …If we didn't need to…I wouldn't do that Harry…'

My stomach lurched and her lip actually started quivering…

She's only doing what's best I guess… Come on Harry don't be so stubborn! I mean she _is_ staying in this whole mess with you! You're the one whose fault this is in the first place! You're the one who let your watch drop into that potion…

'Fine, I'll…I'll do it...You can dye it….' I shivered, dreading what I was saying '…_Honey blonde_.'

'Excellent!' she said happily cheering up immediately and I got the feeling that I'd just been suckered… 'I'm _so_ glad that you've come round to my way of thinking!'

She walked behind me and began combing my hair forward a strong feeling of foreboding replacing the feeling of guilt in my stomach.

'Here we go...' she said quietly, rolling up her sleeves.

'Have you done this before?' I said quickly before she could do anything.

'Of course I have...' She assured me like a surgeon on their first operation 'On a puffskein!'

'Oh dear god…'

'Right, just close your eyes Harry'

'Why…?'

'Close them or lose them Potter!'

'Oh god…Ginny was the puffskein alright?'

'…'

'Ginny!'

'I'll tell you after.'

'GIN-'

She tapped the top of my head as I jammed my eyes shut and a weird heat sensation spreading across my scalp. When it stopped Ginny gasped and my stomach dropped.

'Oh shit…' she muttered under her breath.

'THAT DOESN'T EXACTLY FILL ME WITH CONFIDENCE GINNY!'I glared at her keeping my eyes closed.

'Its fine…Nothing I can't…_Fix_. Right here we go. I'll get it right this time!'

My head heated up again and my stomach filled with dread as she snorted with laughter.

'Ginny what's happened?'

'Your …head…Is glowing!' she gasped between giggles.

'WHAT?!?'

'3rd times a charm!' she said jovially and tapped my head again. I crossed my fingers hard and bit my lip. Ginny gasped again.

'What is it this time…?' I asked apprehensively.

'Oh wow…' she said quietly, ruffling my hair.

'Can I open my eyes yet? Have you done it?' I said standing up

'Don't open them yet! I've got the colour right but we just need to calm your hair down a bit. If your dad has messy hair then youcan't have it too...'

I sat back down sadly and she poked me in the back off the head. My hair flopped onto my forehead and over my glasses and I immediately wanted to sneeze.

'Oh my god...'

'My hair isn't on fire is it?' I said gloomily, perfectly resigned to an affirmative.

'No…It's just you look so different…This is so weird.'

I began to open my eyes.

'Keep them shut!' she shouted rapping my head hard and I clenched them closed again grudgingly. What the hell do I look like? I bet I look like Malfoy… I just know I will….

'Harry I'm gonna have to take a bit off okay? Otherwise you won't be able to see…'

'Okay.' I sighed. 'Might as well.'

I heard he swish her wand behind me and hair dropped onto my face. I shook my head hard to get it off.

'And you're done!' said Ginny happily and I stood up stretching my back then ran a hand through my hair.

It was shorter than before, way shorter, though since it used to be nearly down to my shoulders I guess it needed cutting… It was no longer tangled and all the familiar cowlicks weren't there. It was straight and for the first time ever didn't just go wherever it wanted, defying gravity. It _was _weird.

'Thanks Ginny It's really…'

I caught sight of my reflection in the shiny surface of a washing machine and my jaw dropped .

That's not me... That _can't_ be me... There's this 17 year old boy looking at me through green eyes, my eyes but he can't be me… In plain black robes and with straight blonde hair I hadn''t realised how much of a difference it could make…

'Do you like it…?' asked Ginny tentatively biting her lip and when I turned to her I did a double take. She'd done her hair the same, her red curls replaced by mid length blonde tresses resting just below her shoulders.

'Yeah it's … you look… I mean…'

She blushed

'I meant _your_ hair Harry…'

Oh.

'Yeah it's _different_ alright…really different.' I said awkwardly.

'I guess so, but you'll get used to it.'

'I won't be able to recognise _you_ anymore.' I laughed. 'A blonde Weasley… That doesn't sound right somehow.'

She nudged me playfully.

'Well for the next …Well for however long we're here, you'll just have to get used to it!'

'I guess.'

We went silent for a minute and I eventually grabbed my jeans pulling out a small box from the pocket.

'What's that?' asked Ginny

'They're Contact lenses.' I said simply 'Hermione and Ron persuaded me to get them since:_ 'It's all very well if you can do all these spells Harry but if the other guy knocks your glasses off in a duel then you're buggered._' So I took a trip to the opticians but I haven't tried them out yet…'

I whipped off my glasses putting them on the stool and balanced a thin lense on my finger.Now how the hell am I supposed to do this when I can't even see?

'Do you want help?' asked Ginny

'Nope I'll do it myself.' I said calmly, missing my eye completely and poking my nose.

'Harry you are going to blind yourself.'

'No I'm- OW!'

I rubbed my eye tenderly and blinked hard holding back tears.

'Come here.'

'Ginny I am perfectly capable of- SHIT THAT _HURT_!'

She sighed and in one quick movement had taken the slightly battered contact lense from me and opened my eye wide with her fingers slipping it in smoothly.

'There. That wasn't so bad now was it?'

I grunted grumpily, keeping one watering eye closed. It's so irritating how she's always right.

'Now the other one…'

I surrendered the other contact lense and she slid it in, smugly.

'Right, now can you do something about your eye colour?' she asked me peering into my eyes. 'Since everyone always says you have your mother's eyes and we really can't risk a chance of _anything_ being noticed…'

I raised my eyebrows.

'Harry I know I'm being fussy but still we really can't risk it if we're going to try and pull this off…'

I tapped my wand above both my eyelids, remembering the incantation from Transfiguration last year and then blinked a few times.

'Did I do it?' I asked smiling.

'Yep…Perfect.' she said staring up at me.

I looked down at my feet.

'I thought as much' I said happily and she looked at me questioningly

'I made them the same colour as yours…'

She blushed a bright red and looked away swiftly.

What am I doing?!? I can't be saying things like that to her! She's not my girlfriend anymore…and never will be until Voldemort is finished…I shouldn't be leading her on like that….I shouldn't be leading myself on…

'I guess we're finished then' she said, still not looking at me 'but before we go to Dumbledore we need to get our stories straight.'

'Our stories?'

'Well we can't just tell the truth about why we're here, can we?'

'I guess not…'

'Well we look very much alike now so… I say we pose as siblings.'

'You want me to pretend to be your brother?'

'Yes.'

'Um okay…'

'We can say our dad taught us magic up until now but died last year so we need to come to Hogwarts.'

'What if Dumbledore decides to check up on our story?'

'…He won't. He usually trusts people.'

'True.'

I had a weird feeling in my stomach. Are we really going to try to lie to Dumbledore?

'What about names?' She asked

'Um…Threston…?'

'Threston….?'

'Yeah it's the name of an author I saw once.'

'Harry and Ginny Threston... Okay.'

I looked at her nervously my face feeling bare without my glasses. Were we really going to do this?

'Are you _totally_ sure about this Ginny?' I asked and she seemed to look nervous

'As I'll ever be…' She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

She put her hand in mine and I squeezed it, in hopefully a comforting way. She pulled me out of the laundry room and back in the direction of the stone gargoyle. Leaving our old clothes (and old lives) behind, to where Dumbledore would be waiting…

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Hi, So that's the second chapter up... I'll put 3 chapters up to start with and then if the reviews pick up then i'll decide whether to carry on or not. I have 9 chapters in the works that I could have up for you all but I guess that if you want them you'll just have to press the little purple button (please)... Hwyl Fawr ! (Good Bye) 

Cyanide Sonnets


	3. Chapter 3 : Too Deep

_Disclaimer: I am not Jk Rowling. I promise._

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_TO UNDERSTAND_

* * *

'_**You can't have meant for this to happen surely…? You can't have…'**_

'_**Ginny… I…'**_

'**_Explain Harry… Explain now!'

* * *

_**

Chapter 3: Too Deep.

Snape… Rodolphus… Malfoy… Black… All the deatheaters that have wrecked countless lives…Avery…Nott…Crabbe…Goyle… Are _going_ to wreck countless lives…

I should be happy! I'm going to meet my parents, Sirius and Dumbledore again…But all I can think about is how _close_ all those murderers are…all within my reach… I'll be in classes with them from now on, eating with them; _living_ with them….I could get to them _so _easily… I could stop them before they _kill _all the people that they're _going_ to kill… Stop them all from joining the deatheaters! … Stop a whole _generation_ of servants to Voldemort! …But how? ... Kill them? _Slaughter_ them all where they stand…? That's what they'd _deserve_...but no… I'd be put in Azkaban for sure! They'd think I was mad! They'd blame Dumbledore for letting it happen! My parents would watch and think me a monster! They wouldn't understand …Even Ginny …I don't think I could ever just _kill_ them anyway, even if I wanted to! Not… Not even Snape …But I could change them… Get to them _before_ they become deatheaters…Change time…

What the hell am I thinking?!? How the hell could I change them? They were born into families that were bad from the start…they've probably had Voldemort's ideals brainwashed into them, since they were able to take notice…_but it matters not what someone is born_…_but what they grow to be_… Dumbledore was right, it's not too late for them…I could at least try! …but how can a _Gryffindor_ get into the inner circle of those _Slytherins_… A _Gryffindor_ couldn't… the amount of prejudice between those two houses is much too high…but if I were a _Slytherin_…? The sorting hat always said that I'd do well in that house … What if this time I'm sorted, I _don't_ tell the sorting hat to put me in Gryffindor…? I'd be able to influence them pretty easily if I was one of _them_…

'Sherbet dib dab…' said Ginny beside me 'I guessed it first time Harry!'

The gargoyle slid apart and we both stepped onto the moving staircase.

Become a Slytherin? … What am I thinking? How can I even be considering this? I'm here to meet my parents. Get to know them but…

Frank Longbottom. Rodolphus drove him mad….

Sirius Black. Bellatrix killed him…

Albus Dumbledore. Snape _murdered_ him…

I can't just sit back and let them lead their lives, knowing what lies ahead…. But… what about Ginny? I can't leave her on her own in Gryffindor, not when it's my fault that she's here in the first place….but….I won't be leaving her! She'll be in Gryffindor and I'll be in Slytherin, that's all! We're siblings now, remember? I'll have an excuse to talk to her…

Who am I trying to kid? How the hell do I expect to get Bellatrix Lestrange…Black, to trust me if I talk to Gryffindors...? This won't be fair on Ginny…How do I even know that I can change anyone!

'Do you think he's in there?' asked Ginny as we reached the top of the staircase, pointing to the huge oak door.

_How do I even know that I can change anyone?_

'There's only one way to find out.' I said and banged the eagle door knocker 3 times.

'Come in.' said a familiar voice from inside and I pushed open the door.

There he was. Albus Dumbledore was sitting 5 metres away from us his blue eyes twinkling gently as he wrote something on his desk. I winced as a picture flashed in my mind of him lying crumpled on the floor his limbs at odd angles and I swallowed hard.

'No going back now.' she whispered beside me and our grip on each other's palms tightened a notch.

'Please sit down.' said Dumbledore, pointing to two familiar chairs and we did, feeling more and more nervous about what we were going to try to pull off. What _I _was going to try and pull off.

'And to whom do I owe the honour of meeting?'

'Um…' said Ginny nervously

'Harry and Ginny Threston.' I said quickly.

Dumbledore smiled and placed his fingers together.

'Well, I am Albus Dumbledore' he said smiling 'and I am also assuming that you both wish to join this fine school?'

'Yes.' I said confidently.

'And how old are you?'

'17.'

'Both of you are?'

'Yes.'

'Are there any preferred subjects that you would like to take?'

'umm….'

He was letting us enrol? Just like that? No questions asked about where we came from or…or _anything_?

'Potions, Defence against the dark arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Astronomy.' listed Ginny quickly, seeming to gain her confidence.

'Yes… I think that will be fine.' He said softly writing something on his desk again 'I'm assuming both of you can do magic?'

'Yes…' I said slowly

'I am sorry' he said smiling at my reaction to what was seemingly a very _obvious_ question. 'It's just that we do have children of no magical quantity that do try to enrol every once in a while and I was just checking I hadn't made the wrong assumption with you two.'

So he's as polite as ever…

'Are you aware of the house system we have in place at Hogwarts?'

'Yes.' said Ginny quickly. 'We've been told before.'

'Oh excellent… Then all I need to do is sort you and off you trot! Your head of house will give you your timetables in the morning, after I have informed them of your addition to the school.'

So who will be giving me _my_ timetable…? McGonagall or Slughorn…?

Dumbledore stood up and plucked the sorting hat off a shelf behind him, placing it gently on the desk.

'Ladies first?' he said politely and Ginny picked up the hat and let it drop over her eyes.

So I'm going to go in Slytherin? Is that what I'm going to do? I'm going to try and gain friendships with murders and criminals… What am I doing?!?

'Gryffindor!' the hat shouted and Ginny beamed happily.

Well that's Ginny where she belongs…. Now am I to follow her?

'Mr Threston, if you please?'

I looked Dumbledore in the eyes before putting the hat on and taking a deep breath.

'Hmm…' The hat murmured inside my head 'What have we here then…?'

Here we go…

'Not a _bad_ mind… There's talent here…My, my quite a bit of it…'

If it means I've a talent for bad decision making, I guess its right.

'A certain disregard for rules I see… Though you'll try your best…'

I'll try my best to do what? Change evil? Or make the most of this time with Sirius?

'But where should I put you?'

This is it. What should I do?

'You look like a bit of a _Slytherin _to me…'

Do I meet my parents…? Or try and save their lives…?

'Hmm… yes. I think I've made up my mind.'

Now or never… If I don't object now it'll be too late…What am I going to do…? I'll regret this. I know I will! But….but I guess I've made up my mind too...

'Slytherin!' the hat shouted to the room and my stomach lurched.

Oh shit…There's no going back now.

I took off the hat with shaking hands and looked at Ginny beside me. She looked totally dumbfounded.

'That can't be right.' She said faintly, staring at me bewildered.

'Oh, just because you are siblings does not always mean you will be put in the same house.' Said Dumbledore cheerfully, not understanding her reason for confusion 'Though you will still see each other in lessons and during the day so no need to worry,'

I didn't look either of them in the eye. I couldn't. What have I done!? I've wrecked probably my last chance of getting to know my parents! I'll have Sirius glaring at me in the corridors! A friend of Snivellus Snape…

I looked at Ginny who looked angry and confused but unable to say too much in case Dumbledore grew suspicious and I _instantly_ felt dirty. I've tricked her. She stayed thinking that we'd stick together and now I've gone and done this. I'm a Slytherin. What I always dreaded being.

'Do you want me to ask another student to show you to your dormitories?' Dumbledore asked kindly 'It would probably be best if you started lessons tomorrow as the day is nearly over!'

'No thank you.' said Ginny coldly; still staring at me 'We can find our own way, thank you Professor.'

'No thanks needed Miss Threston.' He replied 'I hope you have a wonderful time while you are with us.'

'Good bye Sir.' I said miserably 'Thanks.'

'Goodbye Mr Threston.'

We left the office and climbed back down the stairs in silence. As we stepped out into the corridor Ginny rounded on me.

'How did this happen?!?' she yelled. 'How?!? Did it pick up on your…your parceltongue or something?!? Is it just because it doesn't know how you got that scar!?! I mean why?!? WHY?!?'

'Ginny calm down...' I said miserably

'Calm?!? How _can_ I be calm Harry?!? How can _you _be so calm!?! You're in _Slytherin_! Is that hat broken or something? Has it's … its _stitches_ come loose or…or something?!?'

I said nothing and just stared at floor. How could I explain?

'I think we should go right back up there and ask you to get sorted again Harry… Come on!'

She grabbed my sleeve and started to pull me back to the gargoyle but I wrenched myself out of her grasp.

'No Ginny.' I said firmly 'It's put me in Slytherin and that's final.'

She looked at me as though I was somebody completely different, a total stranger.

'What are you saying?' she hissed. 'You're taking this as though…As though you _expected_ to be put in Slytherin! You _wanted_ to be put in Slytherin!'

I stared at the floor and stayed silent. What could I say? She walked closer to me and lifted up my face to look at hers.

'What have you done?' she said quietly. 'You can't have meant for this to happen surely…? You can't have…'

'Ginny… I…'

She walked away from me her face confused and alienated. She was giving me the 'stranger' look again and I didn't like it.

'Explain.' She spat harshly. 'Explain _now_.'

I tried to walk closer but she turned her back to me coldly.

'I'm waiting Harry.' She said and I could tell her voice was shaking.

I sighed heavily and placed my forehead against the cold stone of the corridor wall. What have I done? This was all a mistake, one, big, _massive_…mistake.

'When I got sorted the first time the sorting hat tried to put me in Slytherin.' I said in a monotone voice and Ginny didn't move 'I said to the hat over and over again that I didn't want to be in Slytherin and eventually it put me in Gryffindor.'

'Okay, fine.' spat Ginny sounding angry 'but what did you do _this_ time? Just…just didn't say anything? Just _let_ it put you in Slytherin?'

I stayed silent, pushing my head harder against the stone.

'Why?' she spat. 'Why the _fuck_ didn't you just tell it no _this _time?'

'Because…Because I can't just sit there in Gryffindor while all those soon to be murderers in Slytherin grow up to be what they'll…what they'll become! This school is teeming with soon to be deatheaters Ginny…I can't just let them grow up to be what they're _going_ to become without doing anything!'

She turned round slowly as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'What are you planning to do then Harry?' she said quietly 'Murder them all in their beds or …or give them a lecture? Is that what you're planning?'

'No!'

'Then what?!?' she said, suddenly yelling.

'I'll …I'll change them.'

'Change them?!?' She laughed weakly. 'You seriously think that you can give them a talk on muggleborn rights and change the idealisms that have probably been drilled into them since they were born?!?'

'No!'

'THEN WHAT HARRY?!?' she screamed and I suddenly realised that she would never get it.

'YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!' I screamed back.

'_TRY ME_!'

'I'LL TALK TO THEM! FIND OUT _WHY_ THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BECOME DEATHEATERS! TRY AND CONVERT A FEW IF I CAN!'

'WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU COULD CHANGE THEM HARRY?!? WHAT SERIOUSLY MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU'VE GOT THE 'ALMIGHTY TOUCH OF JUSTICE'?!?'

'I DON'T _THINK_ I CAN DO _ANYTHING_ BUT I CAN BLOODY WELL TRY!'

We both stood glaring at each other, our breathing heavy and eventually Ginny turned away from me and put her head in her hands.

'I thought that you wanted to see your parents Harry… I thought you wanted to see Sirius again… I guess I was_ stupid_ to think that…'

'Ginny I do-'I said getting frustrated.

'No you don't.' she spat. 'All you want to do is act the hero, to go off on your own to try and save the world…like you always do, leaving all the other people behind.'

'Ginny it's not like that-!'

'Don't _lie_ Harry! You were going to do it tomorrow! Pack up your stuff and leave with Ron and Hermione without telling _anyone_…without telling _me_… Without giving _any_ explanation…'

I froze. How could she have found out about that? Had she heard us talking in Ron's room…? If so how much of that conversation had she heard…?

She wiped her sleeve over her eyes and sniffed loudly walking quickly down the corridor. When she got about 10 metres away she stopped.

'You know Harry…' she half sobbed. 'You're right... I _don't_ understand…And I don't think I'll ever want to either.'

'Ginny-!'

'Not anymore!'

She stalked away from me and out onto the main staircase disappearing up the stone steps and I stayed where I was.

What could I say to her?!? I _can't_ explain why me, Ron and Hermione are going to leave…_were_ going to leave… She can't know about the Horcruxes _or_ the prophecy… We need to keep that a secret...Okay, I should have told her I was going to leave… We should have decided to tell Ginny but I thought it was for the best... And now I've gone and got us into a whole _new_ mess now… Why hadn't I just taken us home? Why?!? Why the hell did I have to make this whole situation even more complicated than it already is!? We're forbidden to mess with the past! I should have just taken this chance to meet James, Lily and Sirius again and…and left it at that! …but_ no_… Because I'm Harry _fucking_ Potter and I _have_ to act the hero! I have to _spoil _things! I have to always be the one to get into the deepest of messes…and drag everyone else in _deeper_ with me…

* * *

Hey. Lovely bit of Angst there, lmao! I'll have the next chapter up soon but to get it up ASAP you'll have to review! Thanks/Diolch

Cyanide Sonnets


	4. Chapter 4 : Original Introductions

Disclaimer: I'm Not JK Rowling... DUH!

* * *

'_**Why were you punching the wall?'**_

'_**I was…venting my frustration…?'**_

'_**At what?'**_

'_**The…weather…?'

* * *

**_

**Chapter 4: Original Introductions**

* * *

I slammed my fists into the wall again and again, over and over until blood ran down my knuckles.

Why was I here? Why had I taken Ginny with me? Why the hell was I in _Slytherin_?!?

'What are you doing?' said a voice behind me and I spun round alarmed.

'Jesus Christ...' I whispered and the boy looked at me as though I was insane.

He was wearing long Slytherin robes with a scarf wrapped tightly round his neck, even though it was only early September and was clutching a battered potions book close to his chest. His black, greasy hair hung just below his chin and his skin looked as though it'd never seen the light of day… It was a 17 year old Severus Snape.

'Hello.' I said, trying to hide my knuckles behind my back as they clenched tightly. 'I'm… Harry Threston.'

'And I'm extremely busy' he snapped rudely 'so if you'd excuse me…'

I moved to the left to block his path.

'Look. I'm new here and I've just been sorted into Slytherin so-'

'And I really don't care-'he started to walk away swiftly but stopped and turned around sharply 'You've just been put in Slytherin?' he said very quickly.

'Yes but-'

'You're new?'

'Yes but-'

'You've never been to Hogwarts?'

'No, so-'

He snorted haughtily.

'What are you laughing at?' I snapped starting to get annoyed.

'Oh nothing… It's just that you've got a lot to learn that's all…'

He looked at me as though I was a bug on his shoe and I stared back.

Is this the 17 year old Snape? Is this the person I'm going to have to spend all the time that I'm here with? A moody bookworm with greasy hair and a rude attitude…seems to match Snape perfectly…

'So…' I said nervously. I might as well do what I went in Slytherin to do… 'Will…Will you show me around?'

He looked at me sharply with his beady black eyes and gave me that oh-so familiar look that made me feel as though he was reading my mind… I stood a little straighter and gripped my wand tighter…Just in case.

'I guess so…' he said grudgingly after a minute. 'But… You're on probation.'

I rolled my eyes. Still not exactly the most sociable person I see. What kind of person when they meet a possible friend puts them on 'probation'? I guess Severus Snape has never met a friend before…Though do I really count as one?

'What's your name?' I said to him.

'Severus.' He said grudgingly

'Severus…?'

'I am not going to tell you.'

'But why-'

'You still seem too much like a Gryffindor to me.'

How the hell can anyone _look_ like a Gryffindor…? Mini Snape Is really starting to creep me out…Can that kid read minds at 17…? Surely not…

I followed him hurriedly as he set off at a fast pace and started to walk down the grand staircase.

'Well it's 4 o'clock now...' He said checking his watch 'so I shall show you your dorm and then go to dinner.'

'That sounds good.' I said cheerfully and he turned round to me and glared.

'What now?' I said and he just scowled and started walking again.

Is he going to do that _every_ time I'm happy? Typical bloody Slytherin…

'Why were you punching the wall?' he said suddenly.

'Um…' I said blankly. 'I was…venting my frustration…?'

He raised his eyebrows.

'At what?' he said

'The…weather?' I said hopefully and we both stared out the window at the sun shining and the birds singing happily...

_Why_ hadn't I thought of something else to say…?

He smiled, seemingly satisfied and I let out a held breath. Maybe it was normal to be angry at good weather when you were Severus Snape…

He led me down into the entrance hall and turned right, into the dungeons. We stopped at a seemingly blank piece of wall and he glared at me again.

'And you're sure that you're in Slytherin?' he spat

'Yes.' I said defiantly and he turned back to the wall.

'Thestrals.' He said clearly and the wall slid open. 'You better not forget that.'

I stepped inside and stared round at the common room I hadn't seen since my second year when Ron and I had impersonated a pair of Slytherins. It was practically the same. There's still the green leather sofas and arm chairs, still the same weak fire where about 10 kids are relaxing, still the same gloomy shadows cast by the torches hanging from their dusty brackets... Home sweet home from now on in…

'Come on' Snape growled and I followed him through a door to the right and up what was presumably the boy's staircase. We walked into a room with 6 green curtained four posters and an old heater in the middle that wasn't on, making the room as cold as ice.

I guess that's why Snape's wearing the scarf…

'That must be your bed.' said Snape, pointing to the four-poster nearest the door and flopping down on the one next to it. 'They mustn't have brought your things up yet.'

I looked at the base of my new bed and as he'd said, there was no trunk.

'I…I don't have any things.' I realised.

'What?'

'I didn't bring anything.'

'Well that was _stupid_.' He sneered lying back onto his cushions.

What am I going to do? I don't have any money and neither does Ginny!

Snape must have seen my expression and sat up smirking.

'Don't worry.' He sighed impatiently. 'There's a fund for people without possessions. I'm sure Dumbledore knows and he'll send down some clothes and money in the morning…'

'Thanks.' I said and I realised that Snape had actually been nice.

Not _so _bad then for a murdering, deatheater, bastard…though I guess he _isn't_ a murdering, deatheater, bastard…not yet anyway…

'Who else is in here then?' I asked sitting down gingerly on my new bed.

'Well in that bed is McNair.' He said, pointing to the first bed 'He's a bit twisted really…Has a strange fascination with killing things…Small rodents and insects that sort of thing… He's fine as long as you stay on the right side of him…'

Walden McNair... Soon-to-be dangerous creatures executioner for the ministry of magic and a servant of Lord Voldemort.

'Those two beds' he continued, pointing to the next two. 'Belong to Crabbe and Goyle. I doubt they could make one brain between the two of them. They spend most of their time following Malfoy and doing whatever he wants…Total Neanderthals, the both of them.'

Crabbe and Goyle senior... The fathers of the Crabbe and Goyle I know and _also_ soon to be deatheaters. They were there in masks on the night that Voldemort got his body back.

'And this...' He said pointing to the 4th bed. 'Is Lucius's bed…His father has a very high influence in most wizarding circles and he's got enough money to buy a small Asian country…Master Malfoy thinks he's Merlin's gift to witches… and has a broomstick up his arse about the length of Dumbledore's _beard_...'

'It can't be _that_ much broomstick surely?' I smirked, warming slightly to Snape.

'Oh yes.' He sighed 'That and more…'

We both sat in silence and I looked over at the black haired boy who was watching the moving porn taped to Malfoy's bed… What a pervert…

'Are there any girls here then?' I asked grinning, knowing the answer.

'The question you should be asking is: are there any_ sane_ ones…'

'What are none of them quite to your taste?' I said trying not to smile. Never in a million years did I think I'd be having this conversation with Severus Snape…

'No.' he said sharply. 'Their _looks_ are fine but… They all seem more interested in trying to marry Lucius then anything else which in _my_ eyes lowers their status exceedingly…'

'Oh really…'

'They all want to keep 'the pureblood race' thriving, which means that in many cases most of them are willing to marry their cousins…'

'Ah. So you're not pureblood?'

'No, Halfblood.'

'Same here.'

'Then you'll be fine. If you were a _muggleborn_…Well… you'd be lynched in the common room before you could say 'abbra cadabra'.'

I laughed gently, he was right.

'So who do you hang around with?'

He seemed to bristle slightly.

'I prefer a more solitary existence…'

'Oh okay…'

'Though I suppose you may _'hang around'_ with me for the time being.'

'Oh…Thanks…'

I suddenly felt sorry for Snape as he frowned sadly up at the ceiling. He must be pretty lonely…

'Do you…Do you want to go to dinner now?' I asked, my stomach rumbling and he jumped as though he'd forgotten I was there before checking his watch and nodding.

'Yes.' He said and stood up 'There should still be some food still left over.'

We stood up and left, walking out past the common room and into the entrance hall. The great hall was practically empty apart from a few stragglers and a teacher snoring at the staff table.

'Do you always eat this late?' I asked as I sat down and grabbed a plate piling it with cold mashed potato.

'Mostly.' He answered stiffly as though not really wanting to answer.

'Why?'

He didn't reply, preferring to shove a large sausage in his mouth and chew slowly.

I bet he just wants to avoid my Dad, Sirius, Remus and Peter… I bet they still bully him… Though Remus said that my Dad bucked up in 7th year, he stopped taunting Snape and moved on… I guess it hasn't happened yet… Though I suppose I'll see what goes on between them tomorrow anyway. Then I can see for myself.

'Pass the salt.' He said and I snapped out of my thoughts.

'Oh, here.' I said, passing him the salt cellar and picking up my fork again.

'So… what lessons are you taking?' he asked

'Astronomy, DADA, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology and…Potions.'

'So am I.'

'Oh that's good. At least I know I'll have someone in my lessons to talk to now… Well apart from Ginny…' I added.

_If_ Ginny will talk to me…

'Who's Ginny?'

'My…My sister.'

'What house is she in?'

'Gryffindor.'

Snape started to cough loudly and I wondered if he was choking.

'WHAT?!?' he screeched, his face red.

'Jesus, keep your voice down will you!' I hushed.

The remaining people all turned and scowled at us before going back to their conversations.

'You've got a sister in Gryffindor?!?' he said in a loud whisper.

'Yeah…So?'

'That's _social suicide_!'

'Why? It's no big deal!'

'Oh in this school it is! Believe me I know. There's this boy in the year below us called Regalus and he's got a brother in Gryffindor…He never lived it down.'

I tried to keep a straight face but it was getting harder.

'The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin is immense. Gryffindors hate Slytherins. Slytherins hate Gryffindors. It's just how things _are_.'

'But why?' I laughed.

It's so weird being told this by a Slytherin. Especially _this_ Slytherin…

'It goes back centuries. Back to when the founders first split up. It's all about Gryffindors being muggleborn, muggle lovers and Slytherins being pureblood muggle killers.'

Try saying that 10 times quickly…

'Seriously Threston… This is not a good thing…'

'Ah well…' I said lazily, putting my fork back on my empty plate 'At least the Slytherin girls won't want to marry me…'

'I'm being serious Threston.'

'Well I'm not.'

'But you must!' He said forcefully. 'Things have changed! It is no longer a childish school feud but a way of life! We Slytherins are expected to have views that Gryffindors do not and if you do not conform to those views… Well…You're in a bigger danger than just being locked in with Moaning Myrtle…'

I stayed silent as he shook his head wearily at me. Was he referring to the deatheaters? Was he hinting about things going on _outside_ of school? _And if you do not conform to those views_... Is he talking about the punishments for being _different_ in a house of future deatheaters…?

'That's enough for today' he said, still looking at me concernedly. 'I'm tired. I want to go to bed. We'll talk more in the morning.'

'Okay.' I said and stood up slowly, following him back to the dungeons.

When we reached the boy's dorm there was no-one else there and with a glance at my watch I saw it was only 8 o'clock. I looked at Snape to see that he'd already retreated behind his bed hangings and blown out the candle.

'Um…Severus...' I said nervously.

'What?' he snapped

'I'm going to go for a wander… okay?'

No reply.

'See you later.' I said hopefully.

No reply.

'Bye.' I said forcefully

There was still no reply. I sighed, gave up and walked out the dorm.

So Snape's _always_ been weird then… but who knew that being in Slytherin was so…severe…What _fun_ it'll be to hang around with _him_ for the next god-knows-how-many days…

I grimaced slightly as a vision of me and Snape hand-cuffed together floated into my mind.

Oh what fun this is going to be…

* * *

Hey! Since I was so chuffed at getting a review (Lily's lil sis) I've decided to add up another chapter! I mean why not? I know I'm quite easy to please since I know what some of you might me thinking 'Oooh! One review! Amazing...' but I was just so glad that i didn't get totally slated by something that I'm happy to post up another chapter! Cheers people! Hwyl 

Cyanide Sonnets


	5. Chapter 5 : Keeping Secrets

Disclaimer: I am NOT JKR just in case you didn't know.

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'_**We seem to have got ourselves into a right mess...'**_

'_**Yeah…but how are we going to get out of it?'**_

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TO UNDERSTAND  


* * *

**Chapter 5: Keeping secrets.**

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I walked swiftly out of the common room and back through the stone wall, looking back at it quickly to make sure I could find it again. I hurried through the entrance hall and up the first flight of stairs, leading to the grand staircase. 

I've got to apologise to Ginny. I've got to try and explain a bit better about _why _the idea struck me in the first place. I've got to try and make her understand. She's angry with me and really she's _all_ I've got now that we're stuck here (well, apart from Snape…) .We need to stick together or we'll never get out of this place! She'll need my help anyway as she's coming into 7th year. She'll have skipped a whole year of school because of me...

She doesn't deserve to be kept in the dark all the time! All she's ever done for me is her best. Even after I took her into the Department of Mysteries and nearly got her killed! I got Sirius killed that night, full stop…No. Bellatrix killed Sirius full stop and that's what I'm going to try and change…

How am I going to change them though? Snape was right. For the Slytherins, _it is no longer a childish school feud, but a way of life_. I bet Voldemort has already got plenty of supporters under his wing. All brainwashed by power and the idea that their ignorant pureblooded beliefs, may finally be taken into account...It's probably only a matter of time before he starts to recruit a younger generation...

All the 7th years will be leaving next July; they've got 9 months before they're set loose on the _real_ world. Beyond the boundaries of a teacher telling you: right from wrong, good from evil or Muggleborn from Pureblood…

'Harry?'

I stopped swiftly and stared ahead. It was Ginny standing 5 metres away from me biting her lip.

'I was just coming to find you.' she said slowly

'Me too.' I replied.

We looked at the floor before both speaking,

'Look I'm-'

'I came to say-'

We both laughed nervously.

'I'm sorry.' We said at the same time and eventually I looked at her face.

'I didn't mean to upset you Ginny. I should have told you what I was planning…It was a thrill of the moment idea and I should have talked it through. I wasn't thinking…'

She smiled and walked a bit closer.

'I'm sorry I yelled at you Harry and you don't just do things to look the hero. You've obviously done this for a reason otherwise you wouldn't have done it and…I should have seen that. I … I was just angry.'

We both looked at each other again before taking two steps forward and hugging each other tight. I closed my eyes as the familiar smell of her hair filled my head and all the worries of the day seemed to disappear slightly.

'I'm sorry Harry.'

'I'm sorry too Gin.'

'But what are we going to do?'

I let go of her slowly and bit my lip.

'I have no idea.'

She frowned worriedly and tugged at a strand of blonde hair.

'We seem to have got ourselves into a right mess...'

'Yeah…but how are we going to get out of it?'

'We'll just have to wait it out like we said originally.'

'But how long will that take?'

'I don't know…'

We fell silent and I slid down against the wall and sat down.

'The Order will be going frantic trying to find us...' I said sadly and Ginny gasped.

'Oh my God! The Order! I'd forgotten about them _completely_! They'll be going mad! We'll be in so much _trouble_!'

'We're in enough trouble as it is…'

'How are we going to tell them what's happened?'

'Tell them what's happened? It's impossible. They're worrying about us 22 years in the future…'

'Well we're going to have to try and get contact some how! They'll think we've been killed or…or run off somewhere!'

She began pacing back and forth as I just sat there in silence. Here she was trying to figure out the situation while all I'm able to do is sit there like a useless lump. Come on Harry Potter. You've got yourself into this mess; you try and get yourself out…

'I know!' she said suddenly. 'We'll write a letter explaining about all this and send it to the owl-post office. Then we'll attach a note to it saying that it's not to be delivered till August 15th 1997! They'll be able to read it the day after we left! They'll read it tomorrow, after us only being missing a day!'

I thought it back in my mind and seemed to understand… She's a genius!

'Okay. We'll do that. When do you want to write it?'

'Well technically we've got 22 years to write it but I say we do it tomorrow.'

'By Jove I think she's got it!' I said jokingly and Ginny smiled before sitting down beside me.

'We're going to have to stick together from now on Harry…I mean when you're not with the Slytherins… You're the only bit of 1997 I've got left.'

'I guess so. Weird isn't it?'

'Yep…really weird… So, have you met any Slytherins yet?'

I stared at my feet. How was she going to react?

'Um…Yeah…I've been walking around with Snape…' I said quietly

'With _Snape_?!?' she screeched. 'How can you even _stand_ him?!? How can you walk around with the man who killed Dumbledore?!? The _traitor_?!?'

'He's not a traitor yet…' I said slowly. 'He's just a 17 year old boy who's a bit of a loner.'

'Is that what you keep telling yourself whenever you want to kill him?'

I stared at my feet… She was right

'You've got to try and understand Ginny. I'm going to try and _stop_ him from joining the deatheaters. It's already certain that he's got no friends… If I could just give him a bit of support then maybe he'll have the strength to say no when the time comes...'

'Not all people are as set in their ways against you-know-who as you are Harry!' She said sharply. 'These people _agree_ with what he is saying. They _want _to join him as they want to _support_ those views…Maybe _you_ need to understand that.'

'Yeah, well I'm not that sure… It seems to me that a lot of stereotypical Slytherin views are enforced by tradition. Gryffindors support muggleborns. Slytherins are purebloods and hate muggleborns…Even if you're a Halfblood! It's how it's always been and people aren't bothered enough to change it.'

'And you're the one to do it are you?' she said scathingly and suddenly I felt angry.

'Well now I'm in Slytherin, I'm not exactly going to sit there and listen to all the 'pureblood', 'mudblood' crap am I ?!'

She stayed silent and the atmosphere turned cold.

'Let's just change the subject shall we?' she snapped.

'Okay.' I said and my temper calmed down.

'I met your mum today.' She said casually.

A strange feeling erupted in my stomach. She met Lily, she met my mother?

'She kind of rescued me outside the fat lady and told me the password. She's been showing me around up until now…'

'Oh. What's she like?'

She smiled beside me and relaxed a bit more.

'She's really, _really_ nice. She chatted away to me and made me feel right at home, really welcomed me to Hogwarts you know? She showed me my dorm and I met Alice Smith and Marlene McKinnon, the other girls that I'm going to share a dorm with. You can really tell the resemblance between Neville and Alice though, that'll definitely take some getting used to. God that girl made me laugh… Marlene's really shy but she gave me this big smile when Lily introduced us and gave me a biscuit that her mum had made.'

She seemed to have had a _much_ better time of 1975 than I'd had so far…

'Have… Have you met my dad or Sirius yet?' I asked

'Oh yes, the famous Marauders!' she laughed 'I haven't met them yet but Lily went off on a tangent about them, ranting for England! She doesn't half hate them…'

'Really?' I said worriedly and she seemed to catch my expression.

'Oh don't worry!' she said quickly 'I'm sure her and your dad will get together somehow…Remus said it was their 7th year didn't he?'

'Yeah he did.'

'Then we'll just have to watch them and see what happens…'

'Have you…Have you mentioned me yet?'

She winced guiltily.

'No, not _yet_, the conversation never got round to family…Have you mentioned me to Snape?'

'Yep.'

'What did he say to that?'

'That it was social suicide to have a sister in Gryffindor…'

Ginny laughed

'Ah. Well I guess that makes sense…'

We both fell silent till I voiced something that had been niggling at me.

'Um Ginny…'

'Yeah?'

'I've been thinking… What are you going to do about learning 7th year things? You haven't gone through 6th year yet!'

She smiled beside me as I frowned.

'Oh that's easy' she said happily. 'Dad told me once that the 7th year curriculum before Voldemort was defeated the first time is practically the same as the 6th year curriculum in our own time. A lot of people were afraid to express new findings and magical discoveries when Voldemort was in power so when he _was_ defeated loads of new revelations came out in the open and were then added to the school syllabus. I'll be learning all the stuff I should be learning if I was in 6th year back in 1997 now in 1975. So it's okay, I'll be able to understand it all perfectly and you'll have the big advantage of having done it all before…'

Oh… Well you learn something knew everyday I suppose…Or maybe not...I grimaced slightly. Oh _great_ I'll have to do 6th year ALL over again! Well maybe I'll understand potions _this_ time round…

Ginny yawned softly beside me and I checked my watch surprised.

'God, it's already half past 9 Gin! I think we better get back to our dorms…'

None of us moved and neither of us wanted to…

'Ginny?' I whispered eventually.

'Hmm?' she murmured lazily, with her eyes half shut and I hesitated.

'Are you still angry with me for…for going into Slytherin?'

She paused.

'Not _really_ Harry just…just confused I guess...'

'Confused? Confused about what?'

She stood up and stretched before turning and looking at me sadly.

'I'm confused about how you could explain so much to me Harry…. give me reasons for so many things that I don't understand but…You just don't want to tell me...'

My jaw gaped. That was _not_ what I'd expected. Was she talking about the prophecy? Did she want to know about the Horcruxes? She shouldn't even know what a Horcrux is…

'Ginny…I…' I stuttered, honestly not knowing what to say.

'There's _always_ been more to you than meets the eye Harry Potter.' She said slowly. 'But I just wish that you'd tell me what that was exactly…'

She walked off, leaving me on the floor with my mouth still hanging open.

'More to you than meets the eye…?' I said out loud. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Does she know more than I thought? Just how many things has she heard from my conversations with Ron and Hermione…? We put impermeable charms on the door but… the bathroom's only next door… She couldn't have heard from there surely…?

I began to walk back to my dormitory slowly...Thinking...

Does she really want answers? Answers about Voldemort and…and why me Ron and Hermione were going to pack up our bags tomorrow to go to god-only-knows where… I can't tell her that… I_ can't_ ….Dumbledore told me not to tell anyone apart from Ron and Hermione… Though he also said to trust my friends and Ginny is definitely my friend… She's about the only one I've got now that we're in this mess…I'm going to have to tell her…About the prophecy at least!... Maybe not the Horcruxes… She'll want to come to find them if I tell her about those and I am definitely, DEFINITELY not letting her do that…I'm not risking her life when this is my task to carry out…My burden…

I crossed the Slytherin common room and up into the boy's dormitory where yet again there was no-one there. Snape's drapes (A/N: lmao...) were still drawn across their owner's bed and the other occupants were no-where to be seen. I noticed that a trunk had been added to the bottom of my bed and I flipped it open. There were clean Slytherin uniforms folded neatly inside and a set of thin green pyjamas placed on top. I pulled them on and slipped under the new covers on my bed.

So I'm going to tell Ginny one of my secrets…? A secret that Dumbledore was willing to die to pursue... Drink that horrific potion to get a hold of… Disfigure his hand grotesquely to destroy… Well I won't tell her _that_ secret. She doesn't need to know _that _secret…

I pulled my covers closer up to my neck and opened my eyes staring at the canopy above my head.

I'll tell her my _other_ secret… About how my old Divination teacher predicted something 18 years ago and it efficiently destroyed my life…_ Will_ destroy my life, one way or another…The reason why Voldemort came after me as I lay in my cot only 1 year old… Why he murdered my parents and destroyed my home… Why he tried to kill me and in the same movement created his greatest enemy…An obsessive, consistent, Voldemort-hating _machine_…Me.

I moved around trying to get comfy as Snape snuffled around in the bed next to me making more noise than I thought possible…

I'll have to tell her about how my life will probably be finished on the end of Voldemort's wand….How that the only person who can kill Him is _me_ and standing between me and his murder is 4 nearly _impossible_ obstacles….One that's with some random called RAB, another that I don't even know where the hell is, another that stays by Voldemort constantly and can bite and another that I don't even know what it looks like! ... So Ginny Weasley… Still want to go near me knowing that I'll be lucky just to reach the age of 18…? Are those the _answers_ that you were looking for..? And now that you realise how _shit_ my life actually is do you understand why I do the things I do…? At least if I have a crack at breaking down the deatheaters now it'll be less work for me later…

I rolled over one more time and brought my knees right under my chin, wrapping my arms tightly around my legs.

'Will you understand then Ginny Weasley …?' I said into the dark and closed my eyes to try and get some much needed rest.

For tomorrow I'll be diving into the snake pit. Literally head first.

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Hey! I've decided to post this one up for Becky as she apparently liked the other 4! In the next chapter the story will really get in motion and it'll be the beginning of what I've dubbed 'Part One'. Chapter 6 is going to be in GINNY'S POINT OF VIEW!! So please don't be confused. Though I hope that MOST of this story will be from Harry's POV. Yes so the next 2 chapters are the ones where the main story line will start and the Marauders and Lily and the rest of Slytherins will make a definate appearance! So read ahead for PART 1 DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!

Thanks for reading ! **_PLEASE REVIEW, AS IT ONLY TAKES A FEW SECONDS AND I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT!_**

Ellie...


	6. Chapter 6 : Toast Anyone ?

Diclaimer: I ain't JKR, don't even bother asking me if I am. XD

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'**_I bet that didn't go down too well!'_**

'_**Picture your reaction when I said that I was going to dye your hair blonde….'**_

'**_Not well at all then.'_**

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TO UNDERSTAND

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**Chapter 6: Toast anyone?**

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'WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!'

'I _KNOW_!'

'WE'RE GOING TO BE REALLY _REALLY_ LATE!'

Oh My God! Who the hell is making that racket!?! If it's Ron I swear I'll bury him so deep, all you'll be able to see is a tuft of hair… Hair….Something _happened_ with hair yesterday...

'LILY HAVE YOU SEEN MY PINK HAIRSLIDES?!?'

Lily…Lily…Why is that familiar…OH MY GOD!

I sat bolt upright and stared around my new dormitory with two girls whizzing around nosily, both half dressed and in a hurry.

'Oh…shit…' I whispered as realisation hit me.

It's 1975 isn't it? So it wasn't just a bad dream…I leaned forward and groaned, lacing my fingers into my tousled hair.

'LILY!' screamed Alice from beside me. 'HAIRSLIDES? WHERE ARE THEY?'

'UNDER YOUR MATTRESS!' yelled a voice from the shower.

'Oh hey!' greeted Alice finally noticing me and lifting up her covers to pick up her glittering hair slides 'Sorry things are so loud it isn't usually this hectic in the-'

'MARLENE WHERE'S THE SPARE SHAMPOO?!?'

We both winced and Marlene grabbed a bottle from her bedside cabinet and passed it under the door.

'THANK YOU!!' shouted the reply and Marlene came over and sat on my bed.

'How are you this morning?' she asked smiling.

'I'll tell you when I'm awake…' I groaned, flopping backwards onto my pillows.

'Well you better get ready soon Ginny.' She said, getting up 'It quarter to 8 now and breakfast is in fifteen minutes…'

'WHAT?!?' I yelled and leapt out of bed whizzing past Lily who was coming out of the bathroom, wrapped tightly in a towel. I practically dived into the shower and was out within 5 minutes which has got to be a record for me. I ran a borrowed brush roughly through my hair finding it way easier to tame than usual. Maybe having straight hair isn't so bad after all…

'You ready?' asked Lily 10 minutes later, standing by the dormitory exit with Marlene and Alice. I stood with my new bag between my legs and a bobble in my mouth before wrapping it round my ponytail expertly and slinging my book bag over my shoulder.

'Yes.' I answered breathlessly and we walked down the stairs and into the common room where the whole room was teeming with life.

'Give that back!'

'Are you sure that essay's due in by today?'

'McGonagall's going to _kill me_!'

'What the hell were you doing last night?'

'I can't believe he gave me detention just for doing _that_…'

We wove our way through the groups of people and finally managed to reach the portrait hole.

'So, where are you from?' asked Alice when we'd climbed through to the other side.

'Um…Devon.' I replied. Hopefully Harry would stick to my life story too…

'Oh it's nice down there.' said Marlene quietly.

'Why'd you have to come here then? Why didn't you start in first year?'

'My Dad taught us at home up until now.' I said. 'But he's too ill to do it now…'

'Oh I'm sorry…' said Lily sadly. 'And who do you mean by _'we'- _JAMES POTTER PUT THAT TOASTER DOWN!'

We had just reached the Great Hall when we saw a black haired 7th year sat holding an old, muggle toaster at an odd angle. He had a look of _extreme_ concentration plastered across his face as his friends loaded it up with copious amounts of bread and marmalade.

'_Put the toaster down_' growled Lily dangerously and the black haired boy glanced at her surprised. It was a 17 year old James Potter. He looks exactly like Harry except his eyes are hazel instead of green and his nose is _ever_ so slightly longer...

'Ah Lily!' he said pleasantly, still not looking up from the toaster.

'James I don't know _what_ you are trying to do but-'

'All in good time my precious…' he said offhandedly as he aimed the toaster a degree higher 'Push the trigger Sirius!'

A 17 year old Sirius Black saluted jauntily before pulling down the lever at the side of the toaster.

'James potter!' puffed up lily as the rest of us took cover behind the Gryffindor bench.

'10…'

'You are no doubt-'

'9…'

'About to do something-'

'8…'

'_Completely_ irresponsible-'

'7…'

'That will most probably result-'

'6…'

'With McGonagall-'

'5…'

'Taking another 30 points-'

'4…'

'From Gryffindor-'

'3…'

'And I for once-'

'2…'

'Do NOT-'

Sirius leapt up from behind the bench and dragged Lily roughly under the ready made barricade.

'1…'

'PING'

The toaster exploded, launching about two hundred compressed pieces of toast 30 metres across the great hall and spattering the entire Slytherin table with bits of bread and marmalade.

The whole hall burst out laughing, all apart from the occupants of the end table who were now screaming disgustedly and trying to fish bits of crust out of their hair. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were now rolling on the floor with the rest of Gryffindor house, absolutely weak with laughter.

'Did…Did you see the look on Bellatrix's face!' gasped Sirius, wiping tears from his eyes.

'Yeah and…and did you see that soggy one…hit Lucius?' joined in Remus and they burst out laughing again, congratulating themselves on a job well done.

'Did we hit Snivellus?' asked Peter grinning.

'Nope.' Said James sadly, wiping his eyes 'He's not come down yet but that would have been priceless to watch I must admit…'

The laughter faded out as the shadow of Lily Evans stood over them glaring.

'Um…Hi Lily.' said James nervously, running a hand through his hair, just like Harry does when he's on the spot. 'Do…Do you want some toast?' he said weakly.

She seemed to tower over them all and they cowered under her gaze. Harry's mum is one scary Lady…

'Don't say a _word_…'she said dangerously and all sound ceased. 'You will pick up _every last speck _of toast from this hall-'

'Aw but Lily-'

'AND.' she continued and all the boys gulped. 'You will go and apologise to _every single person you hit_!'

'NO WAY!' yelled James and a wave of déjà vu swept over me and I smiled. He sounded exactly like Harry did when I suggested about going 'Honey Blonde'…

'YES WAY JAMES POTTER!' she screamed back.

'BUT WHY?!?'

'BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING WRONG AND YOU NOW HAVE TO PAY FOR IT!'

'THIS IS NO WAY I AM APOLOGISING TO THE SLYTHERINS!'

'WELL YOU'LL HAVE TO IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE FOOD EVER AGAIN!'

'IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN LILY!'

'OH BUT IT _IS_!'

A loud bang went off behind us and everyone spun around. It was a 22 year younger Professor McGonagall and her nostrils were flared and her wand smoking, which is _never_ a good sign…

'What is going on here?' she said dangerously 'And _why _Mr Potter, Black, Lupin _and_ Pettigrew are the Slytherins all covered with what is supposed to be on your breakfast plates and not on their_ heads_?'

'Um…' said James like a rabbit caught in headlights. 'Um well you see…'

'_Explain_ Mr Potter...' Hissed McGonagall and everyone sidled away quickly, leaving Lily and the Marauders under the heavy glare of the Gryffindor head of house.

So that's James Potter… Well everyone's telling the truth I suppose, Harry _is_ the spitting image of his father but he seems to have got his mothers eyes which at the _moment _(I looked back over to Lily who was glaring at the Marauders) do NOT look that happy… I looked across the great hall to where the Slytherins were still complaining and shaking their fists at the Gryffindors but there was still no sign of Harry.

'Where are you?' I said quietly and then walked into the entrance hall.

I spotted him, walking slowly out of the entrance to the dungeons looking more than a little uncomfortable in his new Slytherin robes and following behind a younger Severus Snape.

So that's the traitor is it? That's the little bastard who murdered Dumbledore… Who deceived us all! How can Harry even bare to be near him? Oh yeah I almost _forgot..._ He's going to try and 'change' him isn't he? Try to turn him away from Voldemort… I've always had the highest confidence in Harry. He's always managed anything he's set his mind to but doesn't he think that this time he's gone a little too far? He's decided to put himself in a house full of Slytherins! A house fit to burst with soon to be deatheaters! And he thinks he can _change_ them? He thinks that he can turn them away from Voldemort and….and just change the way that they've been brought up! I bet their parents have been dragging them up to join the deatheaters since they were born. I mean look at Sirius's house! Imagine growing up with all that! ... I don't want to have to say it but…. Harry will be able to change them as much as he can change the stars… I'm just worried now that they'll be the ones to…to change Harry… He'd never join Voldemort but…I just hope he doesn't get too caught up in this and drift away to somewhere, where I can't bring him back….

I gestured wildly to him from across the hall and he turned to see me and nodded happily. He went over to Snape and said something which made him walk away into the great hall and cause Harry to jog quickly over to me and hug me warmly. I hugged him back gratefully before be both realised what we were doing and let go quickly.

I've got to stop touching him all the time! It's going to drive me crazy! You're not going out with him anymore okay? You split up! He dumped you to protect you _remember_…? But why do I always just want to forget…?

'Are you okay?' I asked giving him a quick once over with my eyes.

'Yeah I'm fine, you?'

'Well now I've got over the shock of waking up to 1975 this morning, I guess I'm okay!'

'Did you think it was just a dream too then?'

'Yeah, I was totally confused! I thought Ron was making this big commotion when I realised it was all the girls in my dorm getting ready.'

'Have you been to breakfast yet?'

'Yep, though I didn't get much to eat on the fact that your Dad, Sirius, Remus and Peter were stuffing my breakfast into a rocket launcher come toaster machine…'

'What?!?'

'It was actually really funny. They managed to launch the whole toast supply for the Gryffindor table onto the Slytherins, covering _all_ of them in bits of jam and crust.'

'Wow…'

'Yep' I grinned happily 'but they're in the great hall now getting a killing off McGonagall. You should have seen your mum's face…'

'Angry was she?'

'Absolutely _livid_... She told them all that they would have to pick it all up and then apologise to the Slytherins.'

Harry winced slightly.

'I bet that didn't go down too well…'

'Definitely not…Picture _exactly_ your reaction when I said that I was going to dye your hair blonde.'

He ran a hand over his head and winced again.

'Not well at all then…'

We both went silent until Harry took in a breath

'I guess I'll see you in Transfiguration then…'

'Okay. See you after.'

'Bye.'

I walked off across the entrance hall and joined back up with Alice and Marlene who were watching a fuming James and Sirius extremely anxiously. The two boys were talking very quickly together with Peter and Remus both tailing them and their expressions were like thunder.

'What's going on?' I asked Marlene who was biting her lip.

'I think Potter and Black are going to kick off in a minute,' she said quietly.

'Oh god…' said Alice looking around desperately. 'Where the hell is Lily?!?'

'What do you mean by 'kick off'?' I asked nervously

'They're going to have a go at the next Slytherin they see' said Marlene darkly 'and it'll probably end up being their favourite punch bag…'

'I mean I hate the greasy coward as much as the next Gryffindor…' reasoned Alice 'but why they'll have a go at him when he hasn't even _done anything_ I don't understand….'

'I still don't know what you mean.' I said but they seemed to be distracted. I looked to where they were staring and to my surprise found myself looking at Harry and Snape. The black haired teen was pulling on Harry's arm and urging him to move away, where as Harry seemed to be resisting. James and Sirius looked up at the bickering pair and grins slowly made their way onto their faces. What was going on?

'Oh Merlin, here we go' said Alice uncomfortably as she dragged me over to get a better view…

* * *

Hey! That's the updates for now! Though for the next couple of chapters it's going to be from Harry's point of view! Hope you liked it people! Please review!

Ellie.

ps. On the Ning Nang Nong where the cows go bong...


	7. Chapter 7 : Blasting Ego's

_Disclaimer : I AM NOT JK ROWLING AND DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS!! just so I've got that straight...

* * *

_

'_**Who have we here? I've never seen you before…'**_

'_**Harry Threston.'.**_

'**_Oh…New meat… I guess we ought to be paying you a bit of attention then…'_**

**_

* * *

_**

TOUNDERSTAND

**_

* * *

_**

Chapter 7: Blasting Ego's.

* * *

'What's wrong?'

'Let's just go!'

'What the hell has gotten into to you?'

'Threston move!'

'Get off my arm Severus!'

'What have we got here?' growled a familiar voice and I turned to see Sirius and my Dad looking at us both with wide grins on their faces.

So that's really my Dad? That's really the man that died to save my mum and me…Fought Voldemort straight in the face; his back straight and head held high…He looks exactly how I used to look apart from the eyes and lack of scar… And there's Sirius… Right by his side like he always said he was, Potter and Black…The team that should never have been broken… I looked at Snape's expression and understood that these two 17 year old boys were exactly why he'd wanted me to move.

'I do believe it's a _Snivellus_.' spat James, looking at Snape with pure loathing.

'And who's this?' asked Sirius loudly, looking me up and down. 'Jesus Christ you surely haven't managed to make a _friend_ have you Snivellus?'

Snape tensed beside me and I put a hand on his arm

'Calm down…'I whispered. No wonder Snape always hated my dad so much…

'Or maybe he's actually _made _a friend!' said James laughing 'With one of his 'do it yourself' potion kits!'

'Well that's probably the only way to get someone to like him! Is that what you did then Snape? Did you program an experiment to follow you around?'

They started laughing and Snape whipped his wand out, a whole crowd now starting to gather around us.

'Come on then Snape!' jeered Sirius as he took out his own wand. 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough!'

'They're not worth it.' I hissed in Snape's ear as he tried to get his wand high enough to curse them.

'Let me go Threston' he spat, struggling to get free 'I'm going to _kill_ them!'

Well that would not be good for me...

'Let him go!' shouted James to me as he and Sirius laughed 'Let him go if he wants to! Or is he just a coward like last year?'

He started to struggle even more and I could tell that soon I'd have to let go or use magic.

'DON'T CALL ME COWARD!!' he exploded and suddenly I couldn't hold on. He sprinted forward and Sirius shouted a curse causing Snape to fly backwards onto the floor. The hall burst out laughing now chanting 'FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!' and James and Sirius advanced. As Snape struggled to get up I stood between him and the 2 laughing Marauders.

A sudden anger was flaring through me. I don't care if it's Sirius! I don't care if it's my Dad! They were bullying Snape for no reason and they needed to be taught a lesson… This is just like 2 years ago when they were bullying Snape before… but this time I can do something about it…

'Get out the way.' shouted Sirius impatiently but I didn't move.

'Move it Slytherin!' said James and he shot a spell towards me. I deflected it non-verbally and a hush went round the room.

'If you want to fight Severus then you'll have to fight me first.' I said calmly and they both looked as though they couldn't believe their ears.

'You're sticking up for this piece of slime?' said James disbelievingly.

'Yep.' I answered, not quite believing it myself and I spread my legs wider to get a better stance.

'Fine.' said Sirius 'I'll take you first.'

He stepped forward and before he'd had a chance to move I'd shot a curse right towards him. He flew across the entrance hall just like Snape had landing straight on his arse and a wave of hushed mutterings ran through the watching crowd.

'How the hell…?' said James softly and I walked towards him quickly, deflecting each curse he sent at me with just a flick of my wand. I guess the training Remus gave me must have paid off…

'_Impedimenta_!'

'_Expelliarmus_!'

'_Fununculus_!'

'_Imobulus_!'

'_In__carcerous_!'

'_Incendio_!' He shouted as each one bounce off my shield.

The crowds were gasping now but it wasn't a fair fight. He wasn't using non-verbal and I had that split second advantage.

'Who are you?' he asked furiously as I stood only a meter from him.

'A friend of Severus Snape.' I spat before blasting him to join Sirius and watching him land flat on his backside. A cheer rose from the back of the hall and I saw that the rest of the Slytherins had joined the crowds. They all started jeering and cat-calling as James and Sirius shot me venomous looks before standing up painfully.

'This doesn't end here!' shouted Sirius, trying to regain some pride and I lifted my wand up again.

'Well if you care to have another go _Sirius Black_, then come and try again…. _If you think you're hard enough!_'

Laughter exploded from behind me as the insults got louder and James grabbed a fuming Sirius, dragging him away. I looked after them, glaring at their backs until they filtered out of sight. I caught Ginny's eye in the crowd and she just bit her lip before following her newly acquired friends after the Marauders.

I shouldn't have done that. I just beat up my own dead Father and Godfather! I humiliated them in front of almost the whole school…and for what? To stick up for Severus Snape? How low have I sunk? Well… that's just about destroyed _any _chance I had of meeting my father and getting to know him…Unless we have a nice chat while he's trying to curse me…

A hand found its way slowly across my shoulders and I turned to see a 17 year old Bellatrix Black smirking darkly... She was beautiful... She'll grow up to murder Sirius and drive Neville's parents insane but she is still beautiful. Her long black hair was shiny and sleek as it hung round her porcelain face. Her heavy lidded eyes covering orbs that actually looked purple in light though were probably black from a far, all things of beauty that Azkaban would eventually rob from her. She carried herself as though she was royalty, and arrogance and self-importance leaked out of her every pore. I could tell that she thought I was being granted the greatest honour simply because I was being touched by her…

'Who have we here?' she smiled silkily. 'I've never seen you before…'

'Harry Threston.' I said confidently.

'Oh…New meat…'

'Bellatrix who are you with?' spat a haughty looking Lucius Malfoy, his blonde hair already long enough to be tied behind his back.

'Down Lucius...' She said as though speaking to a dog. 'This is Harry Threston and I do believe he's new...'

'Since when do you bother with _new_ people Bella?' he said, looking at me as though I was something he'd just stepped in.

'Since this new person just blasted Potter and my dear cousin across the entrance hall.' She smiled, looking me up and down again. 'That's when…'

'_You_, blasted _Potter and Black_ across the entrance hall?' he asked with his eyebrows raised.

'Yes.' I said casually as though it was a perfectly normal and trivial thing to do.

'My, my, my…' he said smirking, 'I guess we ought to be paying you a bit of _attention_ then…'

I held his gaze as he bored into mine until eventually he looked away. What kind of attention…?

'We'll be seeing you later then Threston…' He said silkily before walking back up the stairs with Bellatrix who was looking at me with a very interested eye and I didn't like it.

'You ready to go to class?' I asked Snape as he walked past me but didn't respond. 'Hey Severus-!'

'_Don't talk to me_!' he spat viciously and carried on walking.

'What's up with you-?'

'_You_ are 'what's up' with me!' he said turning fully around to me and I felt wrong footed.

'I just stuck up for you-!'

'Well I didn't _ask_ you too!'

'I thought you needed help!'

'You humiliated me!'

'What-?'

'You had Bellatrix and Lucius fawning all over you!' he said and jealousy was written all over his face.

'I thought you didn't like them!' I said, getting frustrated.

He turned back around and began to storm up the stairs as I followed angrily.

'I just don't understand you Snape!' I said loudly. 'I thought I was your friend!'

'Well _friends_ don't try and _humiliate_ their friends!' said Snape, still not looking at me.

'I DIDN'T HUMILIATE YOU!' I exploded; it was like trying to reason with a bloody brick wall!

'Yes you did-!'

'No I didn't, because in case you haven't noticed, all I did was protect your back! I stuck up for you and got in a fight for you! I didn't want to cause a scene like that! I didn't want to have Bellatrix or Lucius sliming all over me, they're not my friends you are! And I hope we _still_ are but with the way that you're treating me now…_That_ is not how friends treat their friends…'

He fell silent and I watched him intently as he hid behind his hair

'Friends?' I said holding out my hand and he shook it grudgingly 'Well I'm glad that's over…'

'You think it's over?' he asked with his eyebrows raised. 'Think again Threston! The Marauders are like a dog with a bone! They're as likely to let this go as join the Deatheaters…'

'Ah.'

'You've started something and for the first time the Slytherins are 1 up and if Lucius and Bellatrix are interested then the rest of the house will follow…and with the added persuasion of everyone being covered with toast this morning…' He was smiling now. 'I think we may just be able to win this little feud…'

'What, hasn't anyone joined in before?'

'No.'

'Oh…but why do we have to involve the whole house? I think we could take them with just the two of us now…'

'You forget that they have the _whole_ of Gryffindor behind them, they _worship_ them Threston! The mighty Marauders! Just because Potter is the Captain of _Quidditch_…'

Well that makes sense. To be honest I can't wait till I get to see my Dad play! …Even if it _is_ from the wrong side of the stands…

'So what do you want to do?' I laughed 'Break his broomstick in half?'

'Everyone inside please!' snapped the Scottish tones of McGonagall before he could answer and we all filed inside…

I spent most of the lesson doodling on a corner of my parchment as Ginny was right and the things she was teaching us were the same as what I'd just learnt in 6th year.

'Mr Threston!' she barked for the 18th time this lesson.

'Transfigure Mr Snape's eyebrows to the colour green please.'

'_Morphugus_' I thought, flicking my wand lazily at Snape's face and watching as his eyebrows turned emerald.

'Good.' She said and I could tell that she was disappointed she hadn't caught me out…though it wasn't for lack of trying…

'How do you find this so _easy_…' hissed Snape and I tried not to laugh. His face was a bright red from trying to not say the spell verbally. None of the class had managed it yet apart from me…

'Have you any pointers Threston?' asked Bellatrix, turning around in her seat and battering her eyelashes.

'Nope.' I said smiling and she huffed before swivelling back round. Snape nudged me passing a note onto my desk.

'It's from the Gryffindor side of the classroom' he muttered darkly 'so mind it doesn't _explode_ or something…'

I opened it curiously and saw that it was from Ginny:

_**Do** You Have Any Pointers Harry?_

_Yours Desperately, _

_Ginny._

I laughed and quickly wrote a reply:

Try mouthing the spell but _not_ saying it out loud.

Yours helpfully

Harry.

I watched as my note was passed across the room and saw Ginny open it eagerly.

'My turn!' she said to Lily who was her partner and she waved her wand with her mouth moving. I watched with satisfaction as Lily's eyebrows turned a light brown and Ginny squealed happily.

'Professor I've done it!' she said as McGonagall checked Lily's eyebrows giving a rare smile.

'10 points to Gryffindor.' She said and Ginny beamed. I sat back in my chair with a satisfied grin and Snape scowled at me.

'Typical…If _you_ transfigure everything within 2 minutes, we don't get a point but if a _Gryffindor _does it then _that's_ a different story…McGonagall is so biased…'

I smiled across at Ginny when then mouthed Thanks across the room.

'Is that your sister then?' asked Snape staring at Ginny.

'Yeah' I said smiling and he started shaking his head, pointing his wand at me again.

'Stay still Threston, I don't want to burn your eyes out!'

The next lesson I shared with the Gryffindors was 3rd period, double potions…

'Today we'll be making the Draught of Living Death!' said a younger looking Slughorn briskly, 'So _please_ DO NOT ingest any of the potion as the results will not be as…_recreational_, shall we say, as the last time…'

Everyone turned and looked at Sirius who stuck his middle finger up defiantly.

'If you turn to page 10 of your text books you will find the potion you're looking for in there…'

Snape whipped out his book and flipped it to the right page, his nose inches from the lettering. He was up and running around before I'd even had a chance to light the cauldron. He dumped a loud of ingredients on the desk and barked at me to start chopping the valerian roots. I watched as he twiddled with the heat under cauldron and suddenly threw his head back as a load of blue steam burst out of it. He smiled satisfied as the potion turned a deep purple colour.

'How did you do _that_ Snape?' spat Malfoy peering over to our desk but Snape didn't reply, preferring to just scribble a note down in the margin of his book.

'Chop up that Sopophorus bean.' He barked at me and I smirked

'Surely it would be easier to just crush it with the flat side of a silver dagger…' I said and Snape looked at me weirdly. He grabbed his Dagger and squashed it down on the bean with the flat side of his knife. I watched as the bean released a tidal wave of juice and Snape's face lit up. He scooped it all up and dumped it into the cauldron causing it to turn the perfect shade of lilac before grabbing his potions book quickly, scratching out the instructions to cut the bean and replacing them with my tip on using the dagger…ready for me to find 21 years in the future…

'Well look at _this!_' said Slughorn loudly, gesturing widely to our cauldron. '_Never_ have I seen a better attempt! Well done Severus and….'

'Harry Threston, sir.' I said proudly.

'Well, well done to you too boy!' he beamed before ambling off to look at my Dad and Sirius's potion which was spitting orange sparks, causing burn marks on the ceiling…

'Um…Thanks for the tip with the knife...' said Snape gruffly and I raised my eyebrows. 'That was…quite useful.'

I blinked dumbly. DID SNAPE JUST SAY THANK YOU?!? TO ME?!?

'That's alright.' I said happily and Snape started bustlingly around with the fire again.

Maybe I might have a chance of changing Severus Snape after all!

'Pass me that Newt breath.' He snapped

'Please!' I said childishly and he shot me a venom loaded look.

'Not _please_, NOW!'

'Oh well…' I said under my breath, passing him the jar. Let's just take it one step at a time…

* * *

Hey, I hope you liked it as this is my first Fan-Fic and I worked pretty hard on it. However I am always open to Critism but if you do decide to critisise it then please make it constructive! No just saying that it's 'crap' or so on...You must have a specified _reason _to say if it's crap! Lol. Anyway please review with any comments you may want to post! Thanks for reading. 

Cyanide Sonnets.

PS. Thanks CruciareMors for pointing out my previous mistake! You did me a big favour there:)


	8. Chapter 8 : Notions in Potions

Disclaimer: don't even ask...

* * *

'_**Piss off Snape'**_

'**_Charming'_**

**_

* * *

_**

TO UNDERSTAND

**_

* * *

_**

Chapter 8: Notions in Potions

* * *

_Do you have **any** idea how to skin a 'Blarthanger'…?_

_Yours confusedly,_

_Ginny

* * *

_

Nope. I never did it in 6th year. This is one thing that's new.

Yours apologetically

Harry

* * *

_My 'Blarthanger' has just exploded. Shit._

_Yours disgustedly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

I offer my deepest commiserations for the demise of your 'Blarthanger'.

May I advise a short series of counselling sessions to recover from your loss?

Yours sympathetically

Harry.

* * *

_Ha de bloody ha._

_Yours sarcastically_

_Ginny

* * *

_

Oh shit. Mines just decided to explode too.

Yours, also disgustedly

Harry

* * *

_I offer my deepest commiserations for the demise of your 'Blarthanger'._

_May I advise that you use this opportunity to place said 'Blarthanger' on Snape's head?_

_Yours scheming-ly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

Am appalled at your suggestion and shall of _course_ be putting said 'Blarthanger' in Snape's bed…Not on said persons head.

Yours correctively

Harry

* * *

_Even better_

_Yours agreeably_

_Ginny_

_P.S. James is planning to dump my exploded dead 'Blarthanger' on **your** head…_

_So please take all necessary precautions against said plan…

* * *

_

Ah.

Yours gratefully

Harry

* * *

_So…Are you taking in **anything** that Slughorn is taking about?_

_Yours curiously_

_Ginny

* * *

_

Of course I am.

Yours indignantly

Harry

* * *

_coughbull shitcough_

_Yours sceptically _

_Ginny

* * *

_

**Please may you cease your correspondence with my potions partner as I am sick of passing him these stupid notes. I am a person, not a sodding owl.**

**Yours Irately**

**The Half-Blood Prince

* * *

**

_Piss off Snape._

_Yours unconcernedly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

**Charmed**

**Yours cynically**

**The Gryffindor Killer**

**P.S. The Half-Blood Prince

* * *

**

Now where were we?

Yours questionably

Harry

* * *

_Are you taking in anything that Slughorn (or Snape) is saying?_

_Yours exasperated-ly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

No.

Yours obviously

Harry

* * *

_**Whoever this is, can you please stop passing my** **potions partner these notes as I am getting sick of passing them on.**_

_**Yours apologetically**_

_**Lily

* * *

**_

I sincerely apologise for any loss of concentration or displeasure that me and my correspondence may have caused you. Please accept my deepest regrets and sorrows.

Yours Repentantly

Harry.

* * *

_**I accept your apology and am greatly pleased that you understood my reason for concern.**_

_**Yours Thankfully**_

_**Lily.

* * *

**_

Right…Now Ginny where were we?

Yours inquisitively

Harry

* * *

_When are we going to write that letter to…well you know…_

_Yours discreetly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

….

Yours Blankly

Harry

* * *

_To Ron and Hermione, back **home**_

_Yours transparently _

_Ginny

* * *

_

Ah… I get it…Why didn't you just say that in that first place?

Yours Precisely

Harry

* * *

…_Why do I even bother?_

_Yours disbelievingly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

Well do you want to write it tonight? In that place we met last night?'

Yours Imploringly

Harry

* * *

_I'd prefer to write it somewhere more private Harry…Somewhere with a smooth surface…_

_Yours reluctantly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

How about on top of Gryffindor tower?

Yours Ponderingly

Harry

* * *

_Um…NO!_

_Yours disturbed_

_Ginny

* * *

_

It was only a suggestion…

Yours Defensively

Harry

* * *

_How about the DA room …?_

_Yours Suggestively_

_Ginny

* * *

_

Okay. 9 o'clock?

Harry

* * *

_Okay. See you after._

_Ginny

* * *

_

Bye,

Harry

* * *

_Bye_

_Ginny

* * *

_

**Finally…**

**HBP

* * *

**

_Piss. Off._

_Yours 'I'm not going to tell you again'_

_Ginny

* * *

_

**I shall gladly 'piss off' as your _Gryffindor_ intellectual abilities are obviously no equal competition for a _Slytherin_ of my stature…**

**Yours scathingly**

**The Half-blood Prince

* * *

**

_Get over yourself,_

_Yours threateningly_

_Ginny

* * *

_

Don't Worry Gin…I'll hit him later…

Yours violently

Harry

P.S. AHHHHH!!!

* * *

_What?!?_

_Yours slightly worried_

_Ginny

* * *

_

James Potter just dropped your dead 'Blarthanger' on my head.

Yours slimily

Harry

* * *

**_I apologise for interrupting what seems to be a very in-depth and constructive conversation however if you do not manage to finish this potion by the end of the lesson I will be seeing the both of you in Detention this evening._**

_**Yours authoritively **_

_**Professor Slughorn**_

_**P.S. You'll be scrubbing dead 'Blarthanger' off desks.**_

_**P.P.S. Without magic.

* * *

**_

Yes Sir

Yours sincerely

Harry Threston

* * *

_Yes Sir_

_Yours sincerely _

_Ginny Threston

* * *

_

_**Ha ha!**_

_**Yours mockingly**_

_**HBP

* * *

**_

_**You too Severus!**_

_**Yours harshly**_

_**Professor Slughorn

* * *

**_

**Yes Sir**

**Yours sincerely **

**Severus Snape.**

_**

* * *

**_

Just a bit of non-sense :) I thought it would be fun to write and I must admit it was! I hope you enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it! Normal service will be resumed in the next chapter! Sorry it's short! Though i shall post up two chapters to make up for it!

Thanks for reading

PLEASE REVIEEEEEEEEEEEW!!

Ellie :)

PS. sorry about all the lines however it would be very confusing without them :) believe me...


	9. Chapter 9 : Meeting, pleasing, insulting

Disclaimer: I am not JK rOWLING... oKAY? lol

* * *

'_**My name is Professor Bonkdrop. Remember it.'**_

'**_Well I doubt we'd be able to forget it...'_**

**_

* * *

_**

TO UNDERSTAND

**_

* * *

_**

Chapter 9: Meeting, pleasing and insulting the Family

* * *

'food!'

'Is that all you can think of?'

'It's dinnertime, of course it's all I can think of!'

'When I met you last night: _do you want dinner?_ When you woke up this morning: _when's breakfast?_ And now you're thinking of food again when you haven't eaten for _gosh_, 4 hours?!?'

He gasped at me sarcastically and I ignored him, just piling chips onto to my plate.

'I think I can actually see snow on top of that mountain.' He said cynically pointing to my mound of a dinner.

'Leave my chips alone.' I said bluntly as I reached for the chicken wings.

'Yes Snape.' said a voice from beside me 'I like a boy with a healthy appetite…'

Bellatrix Black slid herself in between me and Snape, turning her back on the protesting boy and picking a chip from my plate, biting down on it so her white teeth clicked.

'So…Potter dumped that _thing_ on you in potions did he?' she drawled, twirling a black strand round her finger. 'How unfortunate…'

Unfortunate is a bit of an understatement…It had taken 3 bottles of Slughorn's concentrated magical mess remover to get the Blarthanger's intestines out of my scalp…

'But never mind…I'm sure you'll get your revenge somehow…' she said smirking and I felt a little unnerved.

A couple of 6th years came and sat opposite us and I recognised the girl immediately. It was Narcissa Malfoy. Draco Malfoy's mother and wife to Lucius Malfoy… Well, she will be. She had obviously inherited the same good looks as her sister except with very light Blonde hair instead of Black and cold blue eyes…

The boy that sat next to her I didn't recognise, although but he was strongly familiar. He had dark brown hair that was almost black and was again very handsome. He was holding himself quite nervously and looked as though he'd been dragged there against his better judgement. He kept shooting apprehensive glances at Lucius Malfoy who was sat very close to Bellatrix. Though _why_ he would be nervous of Lucius I can't say…

'I'm assuming you won't have met my little sister and cousin.' said Bellatrix, pointing to them across the table. 'This is Narcissa and Regulus'

They both nodded at me

'I'm Harry Threston.' I said shaking Regulus' hand as Narcissa smiled politely.

'We've heard all about you.' She said quietly 'Did you really fight James Potter and Sirius Black?'

'Yeah I did.' I said, self-consciously flattening my fringe across my scar as a force of habit.

'Merlin, I wish I could have been there...' said Regulus bitterly 'I would've loved to see a Slytherin finally beat the crap out of my brother…'

Of course…that's why he's so familiar! It's Sirius' _brother_…The one Sirius showed me on his family tapestry…the one who became a deatheater but tried to back out…the one Voldemort _murdered_ for his troubles…

'I didn't exactly beat the _crap_ out of him…' I said feeling slightly ashamed.

'No, because blasting him halfway across the entrance hall isn't beating him at all…' said Narcissa smirking fondly.

'Your brother must have flown about 30 feet Regulus…'said Bellatrix smirking. 'It was _spectacular_…'

The whole group smirked at the elder girl's comment as I felt even worse and Lucius Malfoy turned round to the conversation.

'Yes I must admit,' He drawled tonelessly 'It was quite entertaining…It was a shame you got there first Threston. I was going to blast the blood traitor myself…'

I looked at Snape and we both exchanged sceptical expressions.

The only reason I'd managed to beat James and Sirius was because I was practically a year ahead of them in school and can do non-verbal already. Also the fact that Remus, Tonks and Mad-eye had been tutoring me in Auror techniques over most of the summer didn't hurt too much either…

'Though of course I have much better things to do now a days, than such trivial follies as putting big headed school boys in their place…' he continued mysteriously and the whole laid back atmosphere of our conversation seemed to sharpen slightly.

'What do you mean Lucius?' Asked Bellatrix softly and our whole group leant in closer to listen.

'Oh nothing much...' He said smirking, leaning back in his chair. 'My father has just sent word to me…I would be very interested to see what the _Daily Prophet_ says tomorrow morning…'

I looked at Snape whose face had suddenly become impossible to read and furrowed my brow.

What did the blond seventh year know? I've never heard of his father though it's probably wise to assume that the Malfoy's of 1975 are as wound up in the dark arts as the Malfoys of 1997 are... I wonder if the connections between the Malfoys and Voldemort have already been established…

Lucius looked round at us, satisfied that he'd made an impact and stood up, swiftly.

'Come on Babe.' He said and to my surprise Narcissa stood up and Malfoy placed a hand round her waist. I looked at Regulus who was staring at Lucius as they walked away and suddenly realised why he was so nervous of the elder boy…

'I thought he was going out with you?' I asked Bellatrix and she shook her head.

'Oh no, It has been arranged that Lucius and Narcissa would be companions since Narcissa was born!' she laughed 'I'm betrothed to a boy who left school last year. A Lestrange…'

Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had an arranged marriage?!? I never knew that! Regulus saw my expression and smiled slightly.

'You look shocked Threston.' He said lightly as he took a sip of pumpkin juice. 'Surely you know that arranging couples is quite the tradition in Pureblood families…'

'Of course…'I said swiftly as Regulus raised his eyebrows. 'Though I'm not quite sure I agree with it…'

'Well it's a good tradition I think.' said Bellatrix confidently 'If I ever had a child I'd want to make sure it didn't marry anyone… unworthy of our pureblood heritage…'

It seems that all this pure-blood crap has been well embedded into Miss Black. She's going into an arranged marriage for Merlin's sake! That would be like Ginny being forced to marry Draco Malfoy! The whole concept is …absurd! It's like a family sacrifice! Forced to be unhappy just so their family line remains _pure_, if you could call it that …

'But…Wouldn't you prefer to marry someone you love?' I said forcefully. 'Instead of someone your parents just picked out for you because they came from the right _family_! I mean you're going to marry the _man_! Not his _blood_ or his _ancestors_! Doesn't it only matter what the _person_ is like and not who their family were before them?'

She looked at me pityingly.

'My parents only want what is right for me and my clan. If I can help keep the pure blood families going then that is all I'm concerned about-'

'But you're going to have to spend the rest of your _life_ with this man-!'

'And I'll be happy to do it-'

'But-!'

'Be quiet!' she shouted, suddenly standing up from the table. 'You do not understand what you are talking about! I do not marry for me; I marry for my family and for the blood running through my veins! What do the opinions of one girl mean to hundreds of years of tradition! I am to marry the Lestrange boy and there is nothing you or I can do about it…'

She sat back down looking shaken and tried to straighten her hair.

'So you _do_ mind…' I said softly and left the table quickly, with Snape following behind me. I glanced back at Bellatrix and Regulus still seated at the Slytherin bench and saw that she was muttering angrily to the younger boy while he stared blankly back at her. At least my words had taken affect on one person…

'You ought to be more careful Threston…' murmured Snape as we made our way onto the main staircase.

'Why?' I said angrily. 'Don't you think its stupid forcing people to marry all the time?'

His face hardened slightly.

'I'd prefer to stay neutral on this issue… I do not want to make any unnecessary enemies.'

'I mean did you see the way Narcissa and Regulus were looking at each other? Lucius must be blind or in total denial-'

Snape swivelled round to me and suddenly looked angry.

'Stop!' he spat. 'Do not trespass on this subject! You have dangerous opinions for a Slytherin as it is Threston and if you are not careful…'

I looked at him curiously and could tell immediately that he was on the verge of breaking his neutral stance.

'Lucius Malfoy is a formidable man, Threston. He may be arrogant, vain and blind to the antics of his fiancé but he is dangerous none the less. You do not want to upset Lucius Malfoy. You had better watch your back and your tongue Threston…'

He fell silent and walked quicker and I had a job to keep up.

Was Lucius Malfoy a threat? Did he _already_ have the Dark Mark burnt into his skin? No…He was wearing shirt sleeves and nothing was there. Though the hints he placed at the table are enough to give cause for suspicion. His father had told him something and I am extremely curious to find out what… Though I dread to think what news _Malfoy_ would revel in. What is happening as we speak that is big enough to make head line news in _The Daily Prophet_?

'What lesson have we got now?' I asked as we rounded another corridor.

'Defence against the Dark Arts, with the Gryffindors again…'

A jolt of excitement shot to my stomach. This was the lesson I'd looked forward to the most.

'Who's the teacher?'

'He's some young man fresh out of the Ministry. I haven't been taught by him yet, though the rumours do not board well.'

'What's he like?'

'He's apparently arrogant and does not care for his students. He favours Gryffindors and thinks he's Gods gift to the world, which probably means him and the Gryffindor brigade will get along like a house on fire… '

He grimaced and we began to line up outside the classroom. Surely a defence teacher couldn't be that bad? Though mind you I did have Umbridge…

'Everyone inside please!' shouted a voice from the front and we all filed through the door.

I sat next to Snape on the traditional right hand side of the classroom, the Slytherin side and the two houses exchanged the usual grimace. A man with slicked brown hair and purple robes stood at the front of the classroom and he sneered at us, muttering under his breath.

'Doesn't look too bad.' said Snape quietly 'Harmless.'

'I dunno...' I murmured as the new teacher stared at me darkly. 'We'll see soon enough.'

'My name is Professor Bonkdrop.' He said loudly. 'Remember it.'

There was scattered sniggering round the room.

'Well I doubt we'd be able to forget that...' whispered James from across the classroom and I smirked.

'Do you have something to say, boy?' the teacher spat from the front of the room and I looked round. He was staring straight at _me_.

'Me Sir?' I said confused.

'Yes you.' He said quietly and the whole room was staring at me.

'No Professor.' I replied and everyone looked back to the front, whispering. I exchanged a confused look with Snape who shook his head. I remembered what he'd said about our new Teacher preferring Gryffindors and sighed. It seemed the rumour was true. I furrowed my brow as the Marauders started talking again.

'How loud do you think you could say Bonkdrop?' said Sirius quietly from across the room and James smirked. 'Go on I challenged you!'

'Bonkdrop…'

'Bonkdrop.'

'Bonkdrop.'

'_Bonkdrop_!'

'Bonkdrop?!?'

'BONKDROP!'

'MR THRESTON?!?' shouted the Professor and he was again looking straight at me.

'Sir?' I said

'So you find my name _funny_ boy?' He spat and I felt a sense of outrage. Why was he giving _me_ a row? I hadn't said anything!

'No Sir I didn't-'

'Don't deny it boy!' He said loudly and everyone started muttering. James and Sirius were exchanging looks of glee. 'You better drop this attitude Threston and listen to me! I know much more about the dark arts than you boy and I know how to counter them! Have you ever fought a deatheater?'

Yes.

'No Sir.' I said.

I've fought the king of the deatheaters. Why do you think there's that scar on my forehead?

'I didn't think so.' He growled 'You can always tell the type… All words and no action.'

Anger was growing in my stomach and I fingered the white lines on the back of my hand. Why was he just having a go at me?

'You look _weak_ Threston and you better listen to those who are better than you because if _you_ were faced with the dark arts little boy you wouldn't last a _second_-'

'Oh really.' I spat and my fists clenched.

I'd lasted 16 years so far…

'You are nothing boy.' He said quietly and his voice crawled under my skin. 'You are sat here in this little classroom totally oblivious to the real world and later on I _guarantee_ that if you do not take heed of my words you will be the one relying on everyone else to protect you!'

'That's not true.' I murmured.

'Excuse me?'

'I said that's not true!'

'So you think you've got enough under your belt to survive out there already do you? The precious little Slytherin thinks he's ready for the big time?'

'I've made it this far.' I said and I caught Ginny's eye who smiled knowingly.

'Then let's have a little demonstration!' He said, spreading his arms to the rest of the room. 'Let's put that theory to the test! Let's have a duel, you against me. We'll see if you're ready or not!'

The whole class had gone quiet and I was taken aback. Had the teacher just called me out?

'Do you consent Mr Threston? He said leering and I raised my eyebrows.

The teacher…had just challenged me…to a duel?!? What the hell? Was this guy psycho or what? You can't just randomly pick a fight with one of your pupils! Even the impostor Moody never went as far as that!

'Well little Slytherin?' he growled 'Do you accept…or are you just too scared…?'

I stood up quickly and he smiled darkly.

'What are you doing?' spat Snape beside me, pulling on my sleeve. 'Sit down!'

'No way…' I murmured. I'd teach this bastard a lesson. It's a perfect opportunity to practise what I'd learnt with Remus, Tonks and Mad-eye Moody… Boy, did he have it coming.

'Let's add a little roll play to this shall we?' The Professor said as he took off his top robe leaving him in brown trousers, a shirt and jumper. 'Make it interesting. I shall be playing the part of the Ministry and you Mr Threston can be the _Death Eater._'

A murmur ran round the room as I took off my top robe too, rolling up my sleeves. This _would_ be interesting…

'Come at me with whatever you want boy.' He said lazily. 'I doubt you'll be able to do much anyway…'

I walked out from my desk and into the centre, standing in the gap between the Slytherin and Gryffindor seats, my back to the open door. I raised my wand and got ready to move.

'Last chance Threston…' he murmured, smiling at me lazily. 'This is your last chance to back out! If you're frightened to do this -which I'm sure you are- you could sit down right now…'

I laughed coldly in a voice that didn't really sound like mine and the rest of the class seemed slightly unnerved.

'I'm not afraid Professor. You challenged me remember? I'm not in a hurry to prove myself against you…' I smiled and stretched my neck round my shoulders 'Though if you insist...'

He took his place about 5 metres from me and we both bowed low. The class were beginning to stand up and loud whispers began to come forth. Was I really going to duel the teacher? This was absurd! Two fights in one day!

'Come on Harry!' shouted a voice from the Slytherin side and I smirked.

'Are you ready Threston?' Professor Bonkdrop said as we straightened up and I stretched my wand out in front of me.

'I'm just waiting for you _Sir..._'

'Then BEGIN!'

* * *

To be continued...

Ellie

PS. Please review!!

PPS. i'd like to say thanks to all the people that HAVE reviewed so far as i definately appreciate your comments and the REALLY helpful notes on my chapters THANK YOU !! and keep it up!


	10. Chapter 10 : All Hail Lord Voldemort

Disclaimer : I am not JK...

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'_**Hey where's James?'**_

'**_Calm down Sirius…Just try to remember where you left him...'_**

**_

* * *

_ **

_TO UNDERSTAND_**_

* * *

_**

Chapter 10 : All Hail Lord Voldemort. 

* * *

**A/N: Ginny POV**

Oh dear Merlin…. Harry is about to duel our teacher…But not just any teacher! Oh-no, I'm talking about our new DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARKARTS TEACHER!! Why the HELL is he _doing_ this to me? As if my nerves aren't already shot from this whole lets-travel-in-time situation, now he has to pick a fight with a MEMBER OF STAFF! I mean, I thought he would have been satisfied with his little duel this morning! But no, apparently making Sirius and his own Dad land slap on their arses in the middle of the hall is only a warm up for Harry Potter!

'Who d'you think's gonna win?' said Frank Longbottom from the seat behind.

'Definitely Bonkdrop.' said James darkly 'His Father's a famous Auror trainer…Threston hasn't got a chance in hell…'

'Ooh, where's the popcorn?' smiled Sirius a grin now plastered across his face.

Oh well… that's just bloody FANTASTIC!! He's going to duel the son of an Auror trainer! Who's probably been doing advanced curses since he was in bloody nappies!

'Are you ready Threston?' said the Professor, rolling up his sleeves.

'I'm just waiting for you _Sir..._' Harry replied, spreading his legs for more balance.

Oh god, he's seriously going to do this isn't he? Okay, maybe he does have a bit of a chance. All he's done over the summer is train, stay in his room, have long hushed conversations with Ron and Hermione or play sodding Quidditch. He turned into a machine. Never talking to anyone or joining in on Order discussions, just avoiding everything and everyone. Oh and fighting me, he's done a lot of that lately… Though mostly training…Drastic training. I heard Dad and Mad-eye talking about it the day before we made the potion, both in the kitchen after a late night of planning…

* * *

_I walked across my landing and onto the stairs, being finally bothered to go eves-drop on my Dad. Plugging in an extendable ear I sat on a step and tried to stay as still as possible..._

'_How is Harry coming along, Alastor?' asked Dad seriously and Mad-eye's expression darkened, placing a gnarled hand onto the table._

'_Better than we'd expected.' He murmured, taking a sip from his hipflask. 'We knew the lad was good but… not that good…'_

_Dad looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed._

'_Has he improved then?'_

'_Improved?!?' The ex-Auror coughed, choking on his hipflask. 'He's like a deatheater blasting, curse swallowing, maniac! He's a machine!'_

'_Ah…'_

'_He's already covered most of year 7 defence and we've had to start him on Auror techniques!'_

'_Do you think that's _wise_ Alastor? He has only just turned 17!'_

'_We've already taught him all we can at his age! It's just not enough!'_

_They both took a long drink from their preferred cups and sighed._

'_It's strange Arthur…' said Moody softly. 'I've seen some keen kids in my life but Potter…He takes the biscuit…'_

'_He's been looking awfully tired lately Alastor. Are you sure you and Remus aren't pushing him too far?'_

_Moody snorted._

'_He's pushing himself Arthur! If we tell him 'that's enough for today' he'll just carry on! I've told yeh! He's a _machine_!'_

_My Dad looked up sadly._

'_Is he still avoiding talking about Albus?'_

_Moody took in a long breath and exhaled heavily._

'_Yep...' He said eventually. 'But that's a sore subject for most of us…'_

_They both stared into their drinks, deep in thought._

'_I've never seen him so holed up Alastor…' said Dad quietly 'and it's getting worse…' _

'_Well the boy always was a bit of a mystery' Moody sighed, pulling his cloak further onto his shoulders 'Though whatever's driving him to train so much it's doing a good damn job! I wouldn't like to be _them_ when they meet Potter I'll tell you that…'_

_Dad looked up sharply._

'_Is he ready for that?' he said studying Moody's face. He looked up darkly, both his eyes focused on Dad's._

'_Oh yes…'he said slowly. 'They'd _all_ better beware of Harry Potter…'_

_They both stood up and I scrambled back up the stairs from where I'd been perched, feeling through the dark._

'_What are you doing?' hissed a voice behind me and I span around, my eyes wide._

'_Harry?' I choked, my heart in my mouth._

'_What are you doing?' he said again angrily and I gasped. I took in his weary appearance and saw for the first time just how tired he actually was. His clothes seemed to hang off him and obviously needed to be washed but he made no sign of caring. His hair was falling into his face and with the addition of the deep bags under his eyes he reminded me of Sirius when he'd first got out of Azkaban…_

'_I… I was getting a glass of water.' I stuttered guiltily and his eyes stared into mine._

'_You're just lucky Mad-eye didn't catch you listening.' He said and tugged the extendable ear away from my face. 'You'd have been in trouble then…'_

_I looked down at my feet and bit my lip but he just sighed deeply as though tired of me, before turning away and heading to Ron's room on the flight above. _

'_Harry.' I whispered softly and he looked back over his shoulder._

'_What?' he murmured and I felt my eyes fill up slightly. _

_He just didn't look like Harry anymore…_

'_Nothing.' I said quickly and he glanced at me sadly before dragging himself up the stairs._

'_Night Ginny.'_

'_Good night Harry…'_

'_Oh Ginny?' he said turning around and I looked up at him hopefully._

'_Yes?' _

_He hesitated._

'_I've got to make a…finding spell tomorrow-'_

'_And you want me to help you?' I finished and he smiled, letting it crack through the gloom on his face._

'_Will you?' he asked and I smiled back._

'_Course I will.' I said softly and he made his way out of sight, up the stairs. _

_I'd do anything to try and get you to smile again… Harry Potter…

* * *

_

'Oh my God.' said Lily beside me and I shook my head to clear it. 'That teacher is breaking so many rules!'

I looked up and saw that Bonkdrop and Harry were now spread about 5 metres from each other, both getting ready to fight… So Harry was going to duel Bonkdrop… It was final.

'Harry, please be careful...' I whispered and crossed my fingers tight.

'Then, BEGIN!' yelled the Professor and they first jinxes were shot from both sides.

The spells came quick and fast, with not a word being uttered by Harry or the Professor and soon all the class were clambering out of their chairs to get a better view. Both sides of the classroom were screaming wildly as the Slytherins cheered on their champion. The Gryffindors screeching at the Professor who seemed quite taken aback and was flashing his wand through the air creating streams of light like a muggle sparkler.

'GO THRESTON, GO THRESTON!' chanted the Slytherins as the noise level reached such a height that some people were covering their ears.

'He's going backwards!' screeched James as gradually Harry's feet began to move towards the door, the battle still in full swing. Everyone scrambled up as Harry moved slowly through the door frame and into the corridor. I looked into his face and saw it screwed up in concentration his eyes darting this way and that, following every curse and every move. His lips were twitching in a never ending loop of words through he still said nothing. Moody was right…Saying he'd 'improved' was an understatement.

Without warning a stray jinx from Bonkdrop hit Harry in the shoulder and his feet flew into air!

'That's _Levicorpus_!' hissed Sirius 'He's done for!'

However Harry wasn't finished yet as he flashed a counter-curse in mid-air, doing a sort of backwards somersault and landing back on his feet, his hand low to the ground.

'Whoa.' Murmured James in a low whisper and I smiled. Go Harry.

He shot 5 jinxes one after another straight at Bonkdrop's head and the overwhelmed teacher struggled to block them all, eventually letting the 5th jinx hit him straight it the chest. He flew sideways and straight into a suit of armour making a deafening crash. A cheer rose up from the Slytherins as the Defence teacher lay still in the wreckage of the grumbling antique, which was actually beginning to pick _itself_ back up!

'You did it Threston!' said one Slytherin happily but Harry was still looking solemnly at his teacher, his wand raised.

'He's not done yet…' he murmured softly and everyone jumped as Bonkdrop flew up from the floor shooting a curse straight at Harry. His eyes only had time to widen before it smacked into his stomach launching him backwards and into the air!

'HARRY!' I screamed, though my voice was lost in the chaos as everyone surged forward.

The whole class yelled out as Harry was slammed against the wall at the end of the corridor and fell, crumpled at the base of it. Bonkdrop laughed wildly and strode forward, grabbing Harry by the front of his collar and holding him up against the wall. I looked round at Lily who had her hands over her mouth and the Marauders who looked shocked. It was obvious that none of the 17 year olds present had ever seen a violent duel before…

'Not so tough now are you boy?' Bonkdrop spat as he pushed more pressure with his fist, causing Harry to cough and blood spatter from the corner of his mouth. Harry looked down, his feet dangling in mid-air to see his wand lying on the floor, just out of reach.

'Well that didn't last long, did it?' laughed the Professor, obviously enjoying himself. 'I've won already! You haven't a chance without your wand! Though it's not as if you had a chance in the first place!'

Harry's face seemed to crumple as a wave of despair crossed his eyes. He coughed again, spitting blood onto the floor.

'Now there… is your greatest…mistake…' Harry gasped and his head shot up, a smirk firmly plastered across his face, all signs of defeat vanished. 'You're assuming that I need a wand in the first place!'

Harry swung his elbow up colliding straight with Bonkdrop's nose and the elder man let him drop to the floor, recoiling in pain. Harry grabbed his wand, wiping blood from the side of his mouth and stood up swiftly.

'You little bastard!' screeched Bonkdrop but Harry just smiled mockingly before closing his eyes and disappearing into thin air. I blinked, totally nonplussed. What the fuck?!?

'What the fuck?!?' yelled Sirius, from beside me 'Where'd he go?!?'

Bonkdrop was looking round wildly as the congregation exploded with confused yells.

'Did he apparate?' asked Peter, scratching his head.

'You can't apparate inside Hogwart's grounds!' said Remus exasperatedly; he'd obviously said it many times before. 'Plus we only learn to apparate this year, he won't be able to do it yet!'

'You never know…' said Sirius darkly. 'From what we've seen so far he probably _does_ know how to apparate…'

Of course he can apparate! However that still doesn't explain how the hell he's managed to just…just _disappear_!

'Come on!' shouted Bonkdrop in a frustrated voice his face red with rage. 'He will still be here somewhere! You can't escape me _boy_!' He set off at a fast pace round the corner and we noticed that quite a few classes were now poking their heads out of classroom doors, each one wondering what the hell was going on.

'Hey where's James?' said Sirius suddenly and I turned around.

'What?' said Remus bemused.

'Look, he's gone!' panicked Sirius staring around desperatly. I looked at everyone beside us and saw that James was no where to be seen. He's vanished too! … Like Father like Son.

'Calm down Sirius…' said Lily sarcastically. 'Just try to remember where you left him...'

'Ha de bloody ha!' snapped Sirius but he still looked worried.

'Hey! What have I missed?' said a voice behind us and we all turned to see James himself, walking quickly back to the group. He was tugging at the front of his robes and straightening his tie as though he'd just got dressed. Something wasn't quite right…

'Where the hell have you _been_?' said Sirius angrily.

'Calm down Sirius.' he laughed, running a hand through his hair. 'I had to go to the Toilet that's all.'

'You had me worried sick!'

He just laughed again before turning back to look at Bonkdrop and the amount of people now standing in a circle around him.

'So what have I missed?' he asked and Sirius frowned.

'Threston just disappeared.' He grunted

'What? He ran off?'

'No, just totally vanished into thin air.'

'What?!?'

'Nobody's seen him for about a minute. Looks like Bonkdrop's going nuts…'

We all looked back at the new Professor who was now staring at all the people around him as though _looking_ for something…

'Um, James?' said Remus in a strange voice.

'Yeah?' he replied, still looking at Bonkdrop with what seemed like concentration.

'Why are you wearing green shoes?'

We all stared down at 'James's' feet to see that they were indeed wearing a set of green trainers. The green _Converse_ trainers that _Harry_ had stolen from his cousin on the night he'd left the Dursleys. The same trainers _Harry_ had been wearing when we'd gone through the time skip and the same trainers _Harry_ had been wearing before he'd _disappeared,_ 1 minute before…

'You're not James!' said Sirius loudly and Bonkdrop's eyes landed straight on our group.

'Got you…' he murmured and shot a curse straight at us, causing everyone to scream and dive out the way. The fake James fell to the floor sprawled in his Gryffindor robes and Bonkdrop leapt forward. He grabbed him by his collar and pulled him to his green-trainer clad feet, pointing his wand at his throat. The impostor's hair turned Blonde and the lining on his robes turned emerald again, to reveal Harry Potter, his face a picture of surprise and fear.

'No more tricks for you now boy…'said Bonkdrop dangerously and pushed Harry's chin up with his wand. 'No more tricks from you.' Bonkdrop moved backwards, dragging Harry with him, showing him off to the crowd. 'I have won! The Ministry will always win against the Deatheater! I have proved it to you all!'

'But he's not a Deatheater Professor!' said Lily and Bonkdrop turned to her quickly his eyes wide and leering.

'Yes he is!' he hissed 'Can't you see? This was a demonstration! I was teaching a lesson and this boy needed to be taught! He thought he'd got the best of me but no-one gets the best of Theodore Bonkdrop! No-one!' he brought Harry round onto his knees, and stood towering over him, shoving his wand into the back of his neck. Harry's own wand lay useless, 5 metres up the corridor…

'Come on Harry…'I half whimpered, biting my lip. 'Get up!'

'You see duelling is like _physical chess_!' shouted Bonkdrop, as though we were back in his classroom. 'You have to be strategic while working out the _other_ person's strategy! You must have a well thought out plan and sometimes it must come to you in a split second or you are done for, just like Mr Threston here! His plan failed and I must admit it was rather pathetic to begin with! He was simply a pawn to be-'

Bonkdrop froze.

'What's wrong with him?' whispered Lily in my ear and I shook my head. Harry?

Bonkdrop's face contracted in horror and he fell to his knees as though forced. His arm dropped letting his wand fall to the floor, skidding away from him. The Harry kneeling on the floor flopped forward and slowly faded as if he was being sucked into the floor, leaving his green trainers behind!

'What the hell?' gasped Sirius as his eyes widened and everyone took a shocked step backwards.

'Checkmate.' said a triumphant voice as the _real_ Harry Potter re-appeared right behind Bonkdrop's back, his wand pressed sharply into the Professor's neck.

There was silence as everyone tried to take in what had happened. What the hell _had _happened here…? Harry had…Harry had _won_?

Everyone jumped as a huge crash came from behind me and a cupboard door smashed open, revealing an extremely angry James Potter!

'THAT BASTARD LOCKED ME IN A CLOSET!' he yelled pointing at Harry, who still hadn't taken his eyes off Bonkdrop.

'Sorry about that.' said Harry distractedly 'But he wouldn't have suspected a Gryffindor right away and… I couldn't have two James Potters walking about…'

James stalked towards Harry, rolling up his sleeves but Sirius grabbed his arm.

'Don't James.' He hissed in his ear. 'Just watch…'

Harry wiped a string of blood that had been dripping onto the floor and wheezed slightly in pain. He was hurt.

'A clone…?' said Bonkdrop quietly. 'You used a clone to distract me?'

'Yeah.' said Harry and he definitely didn't sound well. 'I knew you'd act rashly if you thought you'd found my 'plan'. I knew you wouldn't consider the possibility of… distraction.'

Bonkdrop growled dangerously.

'You cheated boy!' He spat angrily.

'No. I used a _strategy_' Harry replied. 'And I won.'

He stepped backwards, keeping his wand upright and Bonkdrop stood up shakily.

'You'll _never_ win boy.' He said quietly and Harry turned away, beginning to walk off with a definite limp. 'The Ministry is the only way forward! One day you'll become a Deatheater and _you_ _will_ _die_!'

Harry span around and green flashed in his eyes.

'Do you think by anything you've shown me today I would _ever_ want to join the Ministry!?!' he shouted and we all took a step backwards. 'Judging from _you_ I'd say the Ministry is just a bunch of cracked up maniacs who like to pick on people just because they like to have a target! I am _not_ a Deatheater Professor! But if I _now_ had to make a choice between becoming a _Deatheater_ and joining the _Ministry_…Well…' Harry smiled darkly as he looked at Bonkdrop with pure loathing. 'All hail _Lord_ _Voldemort_!'

A gasp ran through the circle and a girl actually screamed. What the hell was Harry saying!?! He pointed his wand back at Bonkdrop who was now looking extremely scared and advanced forward.

'I think it's time to teach _you_ a lesson Professor!' Harry spat but before he could cast anything I leapt in-between them, putting both my hands on Harry's chest.

'Stop.' I said firmly and Harry pushed against me, staring over my head at the now not so tough Bonkdrop.

'Stop!' I said louder and he looked down at me.

'Just _Stop_.' I whispered and he swore angrily before turning on his heel and shoving through the crowd, everyone screaming to get out of his way.

I watched distantly as he stormed down the corridor and round the corner out of sight. I've got to go after him before he breaks something…or someone.

'Where are you going?' called Lily but I kept running after him.

I have to find him before he does something _stupid_. I've never seen him this angry before! I've never seen him this violent! Not since that time with Snape…Not since Sirius died… Not since Dumbledore died…

'So where do you think he would have gone?' hissed a voice beside me and I raised my eyebrows. Snape?!? What did he want?!?

* * *

Hey! I'm so sorry i haven't updated in a bit! Had a bit of a drift on really... But I'm back and i just wrote this today so i hope it's ok! If you're confused about anything that goes on in this chappie just put it in your REVIEW and i'll get back ta ya! kk? lol. Hopefully i might have another chapter up pretty soon since i'm in the mood for writing so please keep reading! and **_REVIEW_**!!!

Ellie xoxoxo

ps. sorry the bit i showed you Becky, isnt in this chapter. I deleted in completely... It was going down a track i didn't want to go down in the end. Totally rambling. like i am now... Thankies ! xoxox


	11. Chapter 11 : Managing Mischief

Discalimer : All characters belong to JKRowling. This fanfic plot belongs to me. MWHAHAHA!!! and so does that evil laugh...

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TO UNDERSTAND

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'_**Gryffindor…' **_

'_**If you think calling me Gryffindor is going to insult me, you can think again!'

* * *

**_

Chapter 11 – Managing Mischief

* * *

'MOVE!' I yelled, scattering a crowd of Hufflepuff 3rd years. Maybe it was something about the blood running down my cheek, to have made their faces so scared…

Adrenaline pushed me onwards, walking past door after door, each one showing more curious faces, though each wide pair of eyes disappeared after a glare in their direction. I was not exactly in the mood to be gawped at …

Foot steps sounded behind me and my pace quickened. If Ginny wanted to give me a lecture then I wasn't going to just wait around for it…

I started to run, my aching ribs protesting sharply and eventually met with the grand staircase. Stretching my legs I began to descend, feeling as though any minute I was going to fall flat on my face. Ginny stopped chasing me and screamed something after me that I didn't quite catch. Something about 'Stupid', 'Child', 'Snape' and 'Tonight'.

Oh yeah… I'm supposed to be writing that letter tonight. The letter home… I wonder how we're going to explain all this… Though if you think about it… Remus should remember us now anyway… Since he's technically already seen us…

I hobbled into the entrance hall to see Snape waiting for me, leaning on a suit of armor.

'How the hell'd… you get down here… so fast?' I gasped and he smiled from under his hair.

'Like I'm going to tell _you_…' he said scathingly and I frowned. Creepy bastard…

I licked the blood now running into my mouth and looked at his face. Was he going to say anything about Bonkdrop? He looked up at me sharply.

'I met your sister.' he said in a monotone, scanning my face

'Oh?'

'Yes. She told me we needed to find you and in no short terms that you'd probably not be in a good mood.'

'Oh'

'_Are_ you in a good mood?'

'No.'

'Ah. Then she wasright…'

I looked at him strangely but he looked away, leading me down to the dungeons and into the common room. I groaned at the people lounging by the fire.

'Well if it isn't the prodigal champion…' said Lucius smiling as though very smug about something. 'Returned from battle at long last I see…'

I tried my best to ignore him and went to sit by Snape, sinking deep into the green leather sofa.

'Are you _hurt_ Threston?' said a smooth voice behind me and Bellatrix draped her arms round the back of the sofa.

'No.' I said impatiently and hid the bloody sleeve I'd been using to wipe my mouth.

'Pity…' said Lucius smiling. 'We could have got that stupid teacher sacked if he'd hurt you _too _badly…'

'Leave him alone Lucius.' said Narcissa who was running her fingers through her sleek hair over and over. 'He's only just got back…and I want to hear every detail…'

'I've already told you the full story.' said Bellatrix irritably.

'Yes, yes.' said her sister impatiently 'however I want to here it straight from the snake's mouth…'

Everyone turned to me expectantly but I continued to stare at the fire.

'I'm going to get changed.' I said, getting up but Bellatrix pulled on my arm.

'No don't Threston. After all, we're still at a loss to _how_ you managed to beat that oaf… we really _do_ need every detail… '

She looked at me with her eyes glinting and I hesitated, before shaking my head decidedly and mounting the boy's stairs.

'_I_ can tell you how he did it Bellatrix.' said Lucius again in that smug voice. 'It was all rather simple. Any fool could have beaten that poor excuse for an educator…'

I fumed silently, the back of my neck heating up and saw Snape following me up to the room.

'_Any fool could have beaten him._' I mimicked under my breath, sounded distinctly bitter.

'Lucius will always claim that the achievements of others are elementary.' said Severus in a bored voice. 'And make his own efforts seem stupendous in comparison.'

'Pompous bastard…'

'However if you wish to go back down there and do the very _Gryffindor_ thing of challenging him, then be my guest…'

I sighed heavily and lay back on my bed.

'What's so wrong with being a Gryffindor?' I huffed out loud.

Snape stared at me blankly.

'I'm going to hope to Merlin that was a _rhetorical_ question, Threston or a piece extreme sarcasm.'

'I'll take that answer as an 'everything' then.'

'The question should be what is _right_ with them.'

I didn't say anything else and eventually he retired to his own bed, pulling the hangings around him. I sat there in silence and realized with a twang just how much I missed having Ron and Hermione to chat to.

'Aren't you going to talk to me?' I snapped in Snape's direction.

'No.' he replied flatly.

'Well what am I supposed to do now?'

'You're a big boy Threston, I'm sure you'll think of something to amuse yourself with…'

'Like what?'

I heard an irritable sigh from behind his drapes.

'Why don't you go back and talk to _Lucius_ and his gang. I'm sure after proclaiming your allegiance to Lord Voldemort you'd be welcomed with open arms…'

'I don't follow Lord Voldemort and never will do. I only said that so Bonkdrop would understand how much of a _prick_ he and his Ministry actually are…'

'Well I'm sorry to tell you this Threston but I don't think your statement had _quite_ that desired affect. I think what you _actually_ said was on a par to waving a dark mark in the air and donning a white mask…'

I fumed silently. Why is he so…_irritating_ when he's right?

'I'm going for a walk.' I said dejectedly.

'Fine by me.' he sighed and I stood up. I'm leaving this bloody dorm before I go crazy.

I coughed, a spatter of blood falling onto my already filthy shirt.

I'm not going to do anything heavy duty, just a nice little walk around the castle. No fights! No angry Ministry obsessed teachers! Just a nice _peaceful_ walk to stretch my legs…

'I'm going to see Ginny.' I said firmly getting to my feet.

'Gryffindor…' muttered Snape bitterly and I rolled my eyes.

'If you think calling me _Gryffindor_ every 5 seconds is going to insult me Snape, you can think again.'

'Well it _should_ Threston…' he said bitterly and I got up from my bed holding my sleeve up to my mouth. I walked slowly over to my truck and flipped it open. For a split second the image of my invisibility cloak and map flashed into the box but it was replaced with my new Slytherin robes and a stupid feeling in my head. Of course I haven't got my invisibility cloak… or the map… They weren't on me when I'd left 1997 were they? So I won't be able to have them now…

'Decided to abandon your plan Threston?' said Snape mildly as I flopped on the end of my bed. There was no way I was go for a wander without the map or the cloak…

'Oh shut up.' I said, kicking my trunk and stubbing my toe.

I hate 1975. No map. No cloak. No Gryffindors who like me (apart from Ginny of course). No Ron and Hermione. No Firebolt. No friends apart from my old Potions teacher who tried to make my life hell for 6 years and then killed Dumbledore…Wonderful…

I lay back down, blowing my lifeless hair out of face. Bloody blonde! I ask you…

Where _would_ the map be, now I come to think of it…? It'll still be living with my Dad and the Marauders. _Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs... Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_… They might even be using it right now… Trying to plan some prank or something... Maybe even against _me_…

I turned over to lie on my back, holding a discovered handkerchief up to my face.

That map is beyond handy… I used it to track Malfoy last year… Though of course since he spent all his time in the Room of Requirement I didn't really see him on the map that often… I used it in 4th year though… I caught Barty Crouch pretending to be Moody…but I didn't realize it at the time…

I lay back on my blankets, my eyes threatening to droop.

But that's the _really_ handy thing about the Marauders map…It shows up who you are whether or not you're in an invisibility cloak…even if you're wearing a disguise-

I sat up bolt upright, realization hitting me like something had shot me in the chest.

'Shit…' I hissed, panic swelling in my chest.

The Marauder's have the Map. The map can see who me and Ginny really are. _The map_ _never_ _lies_. The Marauder's Map won't tell them that I'm Harry _Threston _but Harry _Potter_. It won't tell the Marauder's that Ginny's, Ginny _Threston_ but Ginny _Weasley_.

_The map_ _never_ _lies_.

I have to get the map before they see us.

'Going for a walk after all?' said Snape, pulling back his curtains and raising a thin eyebrow.

'Yeah.' I said distractedly, not even bothering to change my shirt, just grabbing my cloak.

He nodded lazily before I left quickly, my heart pounding in my ears. I rushed through the common room and Lucius yelled something after me but I wasn't listening. I need to get into Gryffindor Tower but _how_?

I passed through a bunch of Ravenclaws on the 3rd floor who scattered quickly to make way for me. Obviously stories of my clash with Bonkdrop had traveled fast…

Ginny hasn't told me the password to get past the fat lady and without a password I'm sunk… Unless I knocked out a Gryffindor, hid him in a cupboard and passed my self off as him… No. I've already knocked out enough Gryffindors today…

I stopped on the 6th floor, going into a classroom and locking the door behind me.

'Think Potter think…' I said, kneading my forehead. 'You need to get into the boy's dorm…'

I passed over to the window and opened it wide. I stuck my head out and looked upwards. It was Gryffindor tower, I was sure of it. The classroom was directly beneath it…But how the hell could I get to it?!? Go up through the ceiling? No. The floor's solid stone. Nothing is getting through that. I slammed my fist on the window sill, frustration filling me up. If I could just get a note to Ginny maybe _she_ could go and steal it… But then she'd be hated. If _I_ stole it, it would be the work of a Slytherin and she wouldn't be blamed… Though even if I _do _steal the map she'll probably be accused of letting me in…Though that's only if they catch me first…

I looked out the window again. The dorms wouldn't be _much_ further up…if I _climbed_…

I backed away from the window. It was a stupid idea, what if I fell for God's sake? I walked tentatively over to the window ledge again and looked down, the dark waters of the lake glittering up at me. I'd be squid food for sure... I looked up again, spotting a gargoyle about a metre up from the window. I squinted, leaning out as far as I could to see that the Gargoyles ran all the way up the tower, spaced about a metre apart all the way to the dorm windows.

If I climbed on the Gargoyles I'd have a clear run all the way to the 7th Year boy's window. I could climb up to the window, shimmy it open and get in that way…As for getting down… I looked down into the depths of the lake and gulped. I'd think about getting down when I'd finished. Anyway if I got the cloak I could go out through the common room: the non-dangerous, non-suicidal way of getting back…

I laughed bitterly. So much for a peaceful stroll…

I shook my head before talking off my cloak and rubbing my hands together. I tapped my palms with my wand '_obduro_'

At least I'd have grip.

I shook my head again before climbing onto the windowsill and standing up. Shoving my wand in my mouth I reached upwards and wrapped my hands round the Gargoyle's neck. I was going to die. This was a big mistake. I put my feet on the wall placing all my weight on my arms and pulled my legs round the Gargoyle's back. I was now dangling 200 feet in the air underneath a 1000 year old piece of Limestone…

'Great…' I grunted round my wand and I swung my right arm up to the Gargoyle's head, pulling up the rest of me with it. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat with my back to the wall, looking out on the now setting sun. It sure was a beauty…blood red with purple clouds…Picturesque. Almost worth the hassle!

I gritted my teeth and stood up against the wall, hoisting myself up to the next Gargoyle. A chunk of stone broke off under my foot and I panicked, grabbing at the wall. This has got to be the most stupid position I've ever put myself in… I carried on, up and up, my heart in my mouth. 5 gargoyles to go…. 2 gargoyles to go…until I finally reached the dorm windows. Breathing a sigh of relief I latched my fingers onto the window sill, my trainers scrabbling to get a grip on the stone. I secured my feet before lifting myself up to peer tentatively in through window.

'I CANNOT _BELIEVE _YOU TOLD HIM I USED TO BE A _MAN_!'

'WELL IT'S _TRUE_!'

'BUT IT WAS MEANT TO BE OUR _SECRET_!'

Okay… Wrong window…I shifted along to the next opening, my feet resting on a piece of fancy stonework.

'So… where'd you get the weed dude…?'

'Hufflepuffs deal it behind the green houses... They grow it _themselves_…'

'Seriously…? That's so awesome…'

… Typical 2nd years…I moved along again, praying for it to be the right one. I listened intently, my ears pricked.

'Did you know Dolores Umbridge used to be a man?'

I KNEW IT!

'You're kidding me?!?'

'Nope, that Hufflepuff guy told me behind the green houses yesterday…'

I've got to tell Hermione and Ron… When I get back that is…_If_ I get back…

I moved on to the next window, my feet beginning to slip and this time I hit the jackpot. It was definitely a 7th year boy's dorm. There were clothes everywhere, books everywhere and a distinct smell of sweat and old porn mag, plus there was no-one there. Excellent.

I pulled myself up onto the window sill and inched the window open, slipping inside. I stepped lightly onto the stone flooring, trying to make as little noise as possible and walked up to the nearest bed.

'Jesus Christ…' I groaned and put a hand over my nose. It stank worse than anything else in the room: a mixture of Girl's perfume and wet dog. Not a good combination. I flicked open the trunk at the end of the bed to see a jumble of uniform and sweet wrappers. There seemed to be a kind of sticky green goop on top and I stared at it wearily …but there was no map to be seen.

I moved on to the next bed that was by far the neatest, the owner's pajamas lain on top ready for the night. There was a pile of books piled up on his bedside table with titles such as 'Lycanthropy: Man or Beast?' and 'Dangerous creatures made a doddle!' I smiled gently and looked to his trunk, pushing it open to find a huge amount of chocolate…but again, no map.

The next bed was small, with a small dip in the middle as though its occupant spent a lot of time curled up. There was no sign of any personal artifacts only borrowed bits and bobs that seemed to belong elsewhere. I opened his trunk to see nothing but a few bread crumbs and a large lump of cheese…but again, no map.

The last bed belonged to a definite Quidditch maniac. Every spare bit of wall or solid object was covered in a poster or a cutting or a photo of _Quidditch_. There was Quidditch bedcovers, Quidditch socks and the unmistakable tail end of a broom sticking out from under the bed. I picked up a picture from the bedside table and held it up touching the glass.

'Dad…' I whispered softly looking down at the Marauders, who were obviously about 16 years old and stood about in the snow. They all waved merrily up at me as a snowball hit James in the head, thrown by a laughing Sirius. I've seen this photo before. It belongs in the photo album Hagrid gave me in first year…Along with all the over pictures of the long dead.

I put it down a frown on my face. This is no time to dawdle Harry Potter! You need to get a move on!

I pushed back the lid on the last truck and finally there it was. It was a relatively new piece of parchment but there was still no mistaking it. I'd found The Marauder's Map.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' I whispered softly and tapped it with my wand. An immediate explosion of ink passages sprang onto the page, showing each and every passage in Hogwart's castle. I scanned it quickly to where the Gryffindor dorms were and found a tiny ink dot labeled 'Harry Potter'. I realized with a twang that I was actually stood in my dorm of 22 years in the future…

I scanned the map a little wider and another Potter caught my eye. A _James_ Potter, heading right this way, followed by a Sirius Black a Peter Pettigrew and a Remus Lupin.

'Shit!' I swore and ran to the window tucking the map into my back pocket. I jumped out, landing precariously on a gargoyle just outside the window and crouched down. It had gotten much darker since I'd climbed up and the wind was freezing my cheeks, each icy blast threatening to send me tumbling into the lake.

The door banged open and they all trooped in laughing and trying to shove each other over.

'That was amazing!' said Sirius flopping on his bed. 'Did you see his face?!?'

'Never saw it coming, did he?' laughed James, smashing Remus with a pillow for no apparent reason.

'Totally oblivious!' said Remus throwing a shoe at James.

'You- you definitely got him good.' stuttered Peter, smiling on his bed.

Sirius sighed, putting his hands behind his head and the laughter calmed down.

'What do you think about that Threston?' he said suddenly, turning to look at them.

'Well he's definitely interesting…' replied Remus who was apparently used to Sirius starting conversations from nowhere.

'Bloody bastard.' said James bitterly. 'Shoving me in that cupboard like that! My shoes _stink_ of Filch!'

Everyone laughed and James scowled petulantly.

'That cloning was a pretty impressive bit of magic though…' said Remus vaguely, still looking at his book.

'Yeah Prongs.' said Sirius. 'It even had your Quidditch badge…'

I glowed with pride. It _had_ been pretty tricky and to be honest I was quite worried about it. If Bonkdrop had swung it round any more it would have broken. It was more like a puppet than a clone…

'It was more _creepy_ than impressive if you ask me…' said James dejectedly. 'I mean he could clone anyone of us! Make it look like we've done stuff we haven't…_frame_ us for stuff…'

Peter's eyes widened but Sirius and Remus looked skeptical.

'Stop being so paranoid Prongs…' said Remus flatly.

'Well if he's done it once, what's to say he won't do it again?!?'

'He only did it the first time as a distraction. I don't think it was personal…'

'Oh so it's just pure _coincidence_ that we had a fight this morning!'

'To be fair James you did dump that slimy thing on his head in potions.'

'Yeah…but still…'

Sirius looked over at the both of them a glint in his eye.

'Well if you _want_ to take it personally Prongs we could just get him back…'

James smiled and my stomach sank.

'Prank?'

'Of course…'

Remus sighed.

'It's 8 o'clock at night boys! He's probably in his dorm! Anyway if you're caught, all evidence points to your arses being blasted from here to London… He's advanced. Too advanced…'

Sirius raised a finger.

'We'll only get blasted if we're _caught_!' he said smugly.

'If he _doesn't_ catch us then it doesn't matter if he's advanced or not.' continued James and Remus sighed.

'Why do you have it in for him anyway…' he said quietly. 'You're even aren't you?'

They both ignored him and James jumped off his bed.

'It'll be tricky getting into the Slytherin dorms though…' he said, his brow furrowed.

'We've never done it before have we?' said Sirius walking over to James' bed.

'Well there's always a first for everything…' smirked James. 'But he might not even be in his dorm… Have a check with the map first.'

Sirius flipped open James's trunk and reached inside.

Oh shit. They're going to see it's gone. I lowered my head a little from the window and suddenly my breathing sounded deafening.

'It's not there.' said Sirius staring at James 'But didn't you have it last?'

'It _is_ in there.' said James, his eyebrows furrowed. 'It'll just be a little buried that's all…'

Sirius began tossing things out of the trunk until it was empty.

'It's gone!' he said and James pushed him out of the way, feeling around his trunk.

'I must have put it somewhere…' he said, biting his lip.

'Everyone have a look around!' said Sirius and they all got up, looking under everything.

I tried to move. If they found me I was in big trouble. Sitting on the gargoyle my heart in my mouth I tried to feel down with my legs. There was nothing there. I cursed under my breath a sudden fear overwhelming me. I would have to go in through a window; it's way too dark to try and climb down now…

'Well where the fuck is it Prongs?!?' said Sirius angrily after 10 minutes futile effects. 'If you've bloody lost it, I'll have your guts for garters!'

'I won't have _lost _it!' he replied defensively. 'It'll be in here somewhere!'

'Stop getting in a flap.' said Remus calmly 'You'll just have to summon it!'

I held onto the parchment firmly, ready to counter the charm. My balance was holding on by a thread.

'_Accio map._' said Remus clearly and the map pulled at my hands but I refused to let go.

'Well it's not in here then it must be- SHIT!' screamed James.

'What's up?'

'Blood!'

'What?!?'

Oh god. I must have dripped somewhere.

'There's blood on my bed!'

Oh crap.

'Who the hell's been _bleeding_ on my bed?!?'

'It wasn't me!'

'Or me.'

'Or _me_!'

'Well it's still bloody wet!'

Remus frowned.

'Well if it's is wet, then it's recent…' he said slowly. 'So someone's been in here and it wasn't long ago…'

They all looked around the room as though I (the thief) was going to leap out at them any minute.

'Threston was bleeding.' said James sharply and Remus sighed looking frustrated.

'Look. Leave Threston alone, Prongs. He's a _Slytherin_, he wouldn't know our password-'

'But he's also the only Slytherin so far to have beaten us!'

'He's got a point.' said Sirius, biting his lip.

Remus frowned.

'Well _whoever_ has stolen the map it is unlikely that it would be a Gryffindor. Therefore they can't have come through the door…but they can't have come through the window either…'

'Why not?'

'It's a 250 foot drop James. No-one would be that desperate or _stupid_ to steal what would just be to them a bit of scrap parchment…'

They all fell silent.

'You never know.' said James darkly then squinted at the window. 'Did _you_ leave that open Moony?'

I moved slowly round to the right, deciding to try and find an empty dorm. They were going to find me. They were going to _catch_ me.

'No…' he said slowly

'Did you Wormtail?'

I clung hard to the wall, the wind whipping my cheeks. I was nearly round the bend.

'I locked it shut before we went to defense.' he answered, wide eyed.

I turned round to look at their window as James stuck his head out of it.

'HOLY MERLIN!' he yelled and I scrabbled to the next gargoyle.

Sirius, Remus and Peter all gawped as I clung on for dear life and James pulled out his wand.

'Don't curse him!' shouted Remus. 'He'll fall off!'

'WHO CARES?!?' screamed Sirius furiously, who looked half way between outrage and pure disbelief.

The wind was getting stronger on this side of the tower and my fingers were slipping. I needed to get inside. The Marauder's were yelling hoarse and I closed my eyes hard. This was turning into a nightmare.

'YOU BASTARD, COME BACK!'

'YOU THEIF!'

'YOU-'

Their words were getting lost in the wind as my strength began to wane. There was a light in the next window and I lifted my arms to the locked pane, banging it with one fist.

'LET ME IN!' I screeched as two 7th year girls stared up at the window, their jaws dropping. 'LET ME _IN_!' I screamed again before one girl ran to the window undoing the lock. They both grabbed my arms and pulled me inside before closing the window behind me. I collapsed on the floor the warmth stinging my face and breathed heavily. I wasn't going to die. I wasn't going to die...

'_Harry_?!?'

I looked up to see Ginny staring down at me from her bed.

'Hey.' I gasped before she moved off her bed to come next to me.

'_What the hell are you doing_?' she hissed in a stage whisper before I pulled the paper out of my back pocket.

'The Map?' she spat, but then it dawned on her. 'Of course…' she whispered and I nodded.

'Um…we don't mean to be rude or anything…' said the girl to my right who seemed to be blushing slightly 'But … um… well…we don't usually have boys clinging to the side of our tower and we were wondering what you were doing…'

I smiled nervously. What the hell was I supposed to say?!?

'Midnight stroll…?' I said hopefully before Ginny elbowed me, pulling me upright in the process.

'This is Marlene.' she said pointing to the brown haired girl with the pink cheeks. 'And this is Alice.' she pointed at the girl with the black hair who waved and giggled.

'Nice to meet you. 'I said and shook both their hands.

Marlene stared at me and I shifted nervously… Though I suppose she's entitled to be staring, after just pulling me head first through her bedroom window…

'I'm Harry Threston.' I said and the door to the Dorm burst open, a very angry bunch of Marauders spilling into the room.

'WE WANT OUR MAP BACK!' screamed James and I took a surprised step backwards.

'What's all this racket about?' spat a voice from the right as a girl wrapped only in a small towel walked out of the bathroom.

Lily. She took one look at us all and screamed.

'GET _OUT_!' she yelled as I jammed my eyes shut. 'WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IN HERE?!?'

James' jaw had dropped, his cheeks turning the colour of tomatoes.

'Um, h- hey Lily-'

'GET _OUT_!' she screeched again, her hair starting to fall from the turban of toweling perched on her head. 'WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IN MY ROOM?!?'

'We want our-!' started Sirius but Remus nudged him

'We want our…parchment back!' he filled in.

Lily looked like she was going to explode.

'WHAT PARCHMENT?!?'

'_Our_ parchment that _he _stole!'

She turned round to look at me as if realizing for the first time that I was there.

'Why the hell are you in here?' she snapped and I was lost for words. 'You're in _Slytherin_ for Christ's sake!'

'I…um…' I stuttered.

'He came to see _me_.' said Ginny quickly, glaring at me to keep my mouth shut. 'He was feeling homesick and…just wanted to see me!'

'That bastard was outside our window!' shouted James, taking his eyes off Lily to look at me 'He stole from our dorm!'

I smiled nervously as Lily sized me up.

'Did you steal from their room?' she said suspiciously.

'No…' I said slowly and the Marauders starting yelling in protest.

'QUIET!' she screamed and there was. 'What are you accusing him of stealing exactly?'

'Our…our…piece of parchment.' said James lamely. They don't want to tell Lily about the map….

'Your _parchment_?' she said skeptically and there was a long pause. 'James that is _pathetic_…'

'But Lily!' he protested.

'You find out that Harry Threston is in my dorm!'

'You don't under-'

'For completely _innocent_ reasons!'

'Lily-'

'So you decide to use it as an excuse!'

'But-'

'To come and _barge_ into my dorm!'

'Lily I-'

'Throwing around _feeble_ accusations!'

'But Lily-'

'To settle your _petty_ little grudge!'

'_Lily_!-'

'AND I AM NOT HAVING IT POTTER!'

'HE STOLE OUR-'

'I AM HEAD GIRL NOW!'

'LISTEN TO ME!-'

'SO IF YOU AND YOUR PERVY LITTLE FRIENDS DON'T GET OUT OF THIS DORM RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!'

'LILY YOU-'

'I'LL MAKE SURE YOU'RE IN DETENTION TILL YOU LEAVE THIS _SCHOOL_!'

'LILY!'

'_**GET**__**OUT**_!'

She grabbed her wand from her bedside table and the Marauders turned tail and ran for their lives.

'Whoa.' I said, blinking stupidly. My mother was one scary lady.

I sighed in relief. I was safe at last... She rounded on me.

'Now who are you?' she said, still brandishing her wand.

'He's my brother.' said Ginny quickly.

'Your _brother_?'

They all turned to look at me and Ginny, squinting to see the resemblance.

'Oh yeah…' said Alice quietly.

'You're the one who beat up our DADA teacher.' said Marlene slowly. 'Aren't you?'

'Um…Yeah…' I said nervously, flattening my fringe.

Lily stared at me and I couldn't help staring back. She had green eyes. My eyes. A cold voice rang in my head as the scene whenever the dementors got too close played in my mind. She was my mother. The one who had died to save me….She was there…right in front of me… Realizing she was still in a towel I wrenched my gaze away and coughed. She still didn't look away.

'Have I met you before…?' she said softly.

'I don't think so.' I said, biting my lip.

'I've got this odd sense of déjà vu…'

I looked at the floor, wishing my hair could still hide my whole face.

Ginny looked at me nervously and seemed to be searching for something to say.

'Are you _still_ bleeding?' she said loudly and the atmosphere broke.

'You're _bleeding_?' said Lily, snapping out of her daze. 'Oh God! I'll go get my first aid kit!'

She ran back to the bathroom and Ginny looked at me. _Are you alright_? she mouthed and I nodded numbly. That was my _mum_…

Lily Evans came back out of the bathroom thankfully in her dressing gown. She put the box she was carrying down on her bed flipping it open. Bending her head over the case she scanned it hurriedly, running her fingers over the vials inside.

'A-ha!' she said happily and walked back over to me. 'Drink this.'

I took the vial from her and popped the cork, swallowing it down in one.

'Thanks.' I said as a warm feeling pushed the ache in ribs away.

'No problem.' she said vaguely and smiled at me before walking away, her long red hair dripping onto the floor. What a change in attitude...

'Harry…?' said Ginny softly, pulling at my sleeve.

'What?' I said, turning my head to her.

'_Are_ you okay…?'

I stared at the floor again and pretended to be looking at the stone, but was really looking at a picture in my mind. One that belonged in my photo album, taken at my first birthday party. It showed a beaming James holding me above his head as I smeared cake round his face with tiny little fingers. Lily was stood beside us, smiling warmly and it just hit me that she had exactly the same expression on now. The same glow…

'I'm fine.' I said softly.

'So how are you going to get back to your dorm?' asked Marlene, sitting with her legs crossed.

'I don't know.' I said, biting my lip.

'Well the Marauders are still down in the common room.' said Alice, walking back in from checking the stairs. 'So if you go down that way then you'll most definitely get attacked or something…'

'Ah.'

God, I was in a bad situation… Well, I am _not_ going out that bloody window again, that's for sure. Not unless I have a sudden urge to commit suicide…

'I'm sorry to have to say It.' said Alice sitting on her bed. 'But you are a Slytherin. If the Marauders have told all the others that you're up here then you'll have no chance of just walking out of here…'

'They won't have told anyone.' said Lily quickly.

'How do you know?' asked Ginny

'They're proud.' she said simply. 'They'll want to catch him on their own wits. I bet that no-one apart from us and them actually know you're here.'

Well that makes the situation a little better... a little.

'So I guess I'm stuck.' I said miserably. 'At least until the Marauders go away.'

Ginny looked at me and I became painfully aware of the fact that I was still filthy. I wiped my mouth again, scraping the dried blood away. What was I going to do?

'You'll have to stay here.' said Alice and she looked to her friend for some sort of agreement.

Lily looked at me with her brow furrowed, red hair beginning to curl below her shoulders and I gulped. It was up to her.

'It's the only way Lily.' said Alice flatly. 'He'll have to kip in the spare bed otherwise he's toast.'

She still stared at me.

'I don't know.' she said eventually. 'I mean he _is_ a Slytherin…'

'But he hasn't _done_ anything to us Lily…' said Marlene quietly. 'I've got no problem with him sleeping here tonight and he _is_ Ginny's brother after all…'

'Please Lily.' said Ginny simply and all three girls pouted in her direction. Lily sighed and rolled her eyes.

'I guess i'm over ruled.' she said stiffly but a smile was starting at her lips. 'I guess this _would_ be a perfect opportunity to wind up James and the prats...'

Marlene and Alice cheered as I let out a breath. Phew. No Marauder face off. Well. Not tonight anyway…

For the rest of the night I chatted away with the 4 girls, talking about anything and everything. Most of the time they'd burst out into giggles that wouldn't stop for minutes at a time or blush deeper than James had done if certain male names were mentioned but I found I didn't mind. It was contagious when Ginny laughed and I found myself beaming along with them. After what seemed like hours Lily checked her clock and said it was time for bed. I went to the bathroom and had a quick shower, the girl's murmurings and giggles wafting under the door. Drying myself off and pulling on the huge t-shirt Alice had leant me, over my boxers I walked back into the dorm. They were all in bed, Lily reading, Alice and Marlene still whispering and Ginny smiling at me.

'Is this one mine?' I said pointing to the empty bed beside Ginny.

'Yeah.' said a hushed reply and I clambered under the covers.

With a sighed of contentment I realized that the girl's beds were much softer than the boy's ones. Though I suppose the Girl's mattresses probably haven't had the springs broken by jumping on them so hard.

I glanced across at the rest of the room before pulling the red drapes around my bed.

'Night Threston!'

'Good Night Slytherin!'

'See you in the morning Harry.'

'Night Harry!'

'Night!' I replied and pulled out the parchment from under my t-shirt. 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'

The Marauders map sprang onto the paper and I scanned it lazily, the ink illuminated by my wand. All the Marauders were back in their dorm and presumably asleep. Thank God. What if they'd decided to take a leaf out of my book and climb in through the girl's window to get to me? I shuddered quietly. I looked up the Map to see Albus Dumbledore pacing his study, as per usual. He was probably thinking. Scrutinizing the paper I looked for any sign of Professor Bonkdrop. He was nowhere to be seen. Good, I don't fancy running into him again in a hurry. I folded the Parchment out a bit more to stare at the dungeons. All the beds in my new dorm were filled. All apart from mine…and Snape's? What the hell was he doing up? There was a little dot labeled 'post owl' sat on the window ledge next to him. He was getting post? At 11 o'clock at night? I frowned, before taking off my glasses and snuggling down further under the covers. I tapped the Map with my wand still staring puzzlingly at Snape's dot.

'Mischief Managed.'

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I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!! I really am. I kinda had writers block and all homework and exams and a whole load of other crappy stuff to do... So to make up for it this chappie is nearly 13 pages long instead of my usual 5/6 pages long. All questions you have involving this chapter just put them in a **_REVIEW_** and i'll get back to you... I hope you're enjoying this story anyway and feed back WOULD be good... For all you loyal reviewers (you know who you are) THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Because it is nice to know that at least some people put in the effort... Since i've had 358 hits on my last chapter and only 53 reviews on the_ whole _story :(... but anyway enough moaning.

ellie.

ps. i'll try and get the next one up sooner but the impending first round of GCSE exams are going to be starting soon so ... there may be a delay. But i'm TRYING to get this finished by the 7th book. (which i shall be going to get at 12:00am in the morning at Tesco's due to tradition :) ) Thanks again xoxoxo


	12. Chapter 12 : Mark My Words

Disclaimer : I am not JK Rowling... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

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TO UNDERSTAND

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'_**Not used to the sight of mud blood are you?'**_

'_**It doesn't look brown to me…'

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**_

Chapter 12 – Mark my words

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'Bleh?'

I woke up. I checked the time. I went back to sleep.

'Harry wake up!' hissed a voice and I rolled over again. 'Harry!'

'Whadoyawant?' I mumbled.

'Your _hair_!'

'Whachootalkinbout?'

'It's black.'

'Your point being…?'

'It's _meant_ to be blonde.'

I opened my eyes to see a red-headed girl leaning over me.

'Hello… Lily…' I said happily and she scowled.

'Wake up!'

With a massive push she shoved me straight off the bed, covers and all.

'Ow!'

'Keep your voice down!' she hissed before grabbing my arm and leading me to the bathroom. She flicked on the light and I squinted through the glare.

'Look!' she said, pointing at the mirror.

'I need my glasses.' I said petulantly and she sighed before leaving the room grabbing them from my table and shoving them onto my nose. 'Now do you see?'

I stared at my reflection. My hair was a mess but big deal it was _always _a mess and now that Ginny had cropped it I resembled a toilet brush lathered in boot polish.

'What am I supposed to be seeing?' I said impatiently to the newly identified Ginny Weasley.

'We are supposed to be _blonde_!' she said in frustration. 'The sodding spell must wear off every night! If I hadn't needed the loo, we'd have both been found out!'

I stared back at the mirror. It was true. We could have been seriously in trouble just then… Us waking up looking completely different from what the Gryffindor girls _thought_ we looked like would have been a pretty big mistake to make…

'We'll just have to keep redoing the spell every night.' I said simply.

'But what if it wears off in class!?!' said Ginny sounding slightly panicked.

'…We'll just have to say we said a spell wrong or something then set it right…'

I grabbed my wand.

'_Crocinus_.' I muttered and my head turned bright yellow.

'Um Harry I think that's a little _too_ blonde…'

'You do it then!'

She tapped my head and it turned the same colour as yesterday but it still stuck up.

'Can't I keep it messy?' I pouted, as she raised her wand to straighten it. 'It always flops

in my face when it's straight…'

'Sorry Harry.' said Ginny, looking at me through the mirror. 'But we've got to keep up the same disguise…'

I sighed heavily. I guess she was right…

'_Prolix_.' she said briskly and the toilet brush look was no more.

'Thanks Ginny.' I said flatly.

'Cheer up Harry.' she said smiling. 'It's only for a while remember?'

I tried to smile back but optimism wasn't really filling me up.

What if we _never_ got back? The spell had shown no sign of wearing off yet. What if we were stuck in the past _forever_! What if we have to wait 22 _years_ to get back to the Burrow and try to fit back in…? We'd be 39 years old, the same age as Remus. Where as Ron and Hermione would still be 17.

'Yeah.' I said, staring guiltily at the floor. 'We'll be back before you know it.'

I picked up my ripped robes from the side of the bath and walked back into the girl's dorm. I pulled off the t-shirt and buttoned up my bloodied shirt, shoving my tie into my newly donned trouser pockets. Taking of my glasses I pulled out the box for my contacts.

'Come here.' said Ginny softly and I passed her the box. 'Lean back.'

She slid them in softly and I blinked rapidly.

'Thanks Gin.'

'No probs.'

I made the bed to the best of my ability and picked up the Marauder's Map from the draw I'd put it in.

All this trouble for one scrap of bloody parchment… I looked across to Ginny's bed to see her climbing back under her covers, her eyes shining at me through the gloom… It just might have been worth it.

I crossed the dorm in one movement and opened the door to the stairs, glancing back once more to see Lily Evans snoozing gently through a gap in her hangings… My Mum. I wrenched my gaze away before walking to the stairs and shutting the door as quietly as I could behind me. Placing a tentative toe on the first step the alarm didn't go off (thank Merlin). It must have been immobilized after whatever the Marauders did to it. I walked down slowly and took in the warm gloom of Gryffindor tower the smell of Quidditch, fire and perfume from the girl's dorms making my stomach twinge with longing.

It hadn't changed a bit. There were still 3 arm chairs and the huge comfy sofa; the same worm ridden notice board and… what looked like a _toad_ croaking from under a table. God that brings back memories…

I hesitated before walking over to my favorite armchair and sinking into its depths. Bliss...

I glanced across at the sofa beside me and picked up the newspaper dropped upon it. Scanning the front cover, my face contracted.

_**WIZARDING WORLD SENT REELING IN LATEST MUGGLE MASSACRE!**_

'Merlin…'

There was a picture of a muggle street with bodies strewn across it emblazoned on the front page. I took in each empty pair of eyes, every pair of sprawled limbs and the glittering Dark Mark over head before beginning to read what was under it:

**67 muggles die in latest attack from 'Lord Voldemort'**

_At 10:34 this evening wizarding men and women of unknown identity strode into the small village of St.Cearnon and murdered 67 muggle men, women and children. This small group led by the newly identified 'Lord Voldemort' left soon after the apparently motiveless killings were finished. The Minister of Magic comments:_

'_We at the Ministry are currently doing our best to catch and imprison the murderers of St.Cearnon. The wizarding people can rest assured that this incident will not be left unpunished. This so called 'Lord Voldemort' is a mindless psychopath and mark my words will be made to pay for what he has started. There have been rumors of The Ministry having lost control of this situation and I shall tell you now __**this is not true**__. This 'Lord Voldemort' has no power in our lives and is most definitely not a threat to our stable community. He and his 'Deatheaters' will be dealt with and that will be the end of it. Mark my words, this 'Lord Voldemort' character will come to __**nothing**__. Your Ministry assures you of that…'_

_Story continues pages 2, 3, 7 and 9_

I felt the paper slip numbly from my fingers. Was that what Lucius had been so smug about at dinner? Was _that_ what he was so happy about? The murder of _67_ muggles in cold blood…? It's hard to believe… But then again if any could be happy about murder it would definitely be Lucius Malfoy…

I ran a hand through my hair and stood up. I needed to get out of Gryffindor tower. I strode across to the portrait hole, whipping out the Map and climbed out. It was a clear run.

'Teachers must have gone to bed.' I whispered into the dark.

I began to run, shivers dancing up my spine. _67 muggles murdered_.I glanced at a portrait, lit up by my wand and let out a yelp. For a split second an image from the newspaper flashed up on the canvas, the dead eyes blank and staring._ This 'Lord Voldemort' has no power in our lives_. Bull shit, you don't know what's to come. _He and his 'Deatheaters' will be dealt with and that will be the end of it. _Butit's only the beginning… I closed my eyes and the Dark Mark flashed in my mind... _It's only the beginning_.

I ran into the entrance hall and deep into the Dungeons, pictures of bodies and masks still flashing in my mind. I spat the password and practically leapt into the common room, anything to get away from the bodies.

'Snape?!?' I hissed, looking across the room.

The teenage Severus was sunk into an armchair, a curtain of black shielding one eye and both arms flopped either side of the arms. I leant a bit closer to squint into his face to see no sign of any lines or his usual sneer. I guess it's never occurred to me that Snape actually does something as human as sleep… and if Snape _was_ going to sleep he would do it hanging upside down from a cave, not crashed out in a cosy looking armchair by the fire…

I jumped as he let out a loud snore, blowing his hair off his face before letting it flop back down again. I breathed a sigh of relief, he was still sleeping… I picked up the _Evening Prophet _from beside him and realized what his owl had been delivering earlier… The same headline and picture flashed up at me and I dropped it. _It's only the beginning._

'Threston?' he grunted and I moved away hurriedly.

'Hey.' I said, trying to appear casual as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

'What are you doing?' he snapped

'Sitting, why?'

'…It is 6am in the morning.'

I glanced up at the clock on the mantel piece.

'I guess I hadn't noticed.'

'Have you seen the paper?'

I fell silent and he sat up, his hair sticking up behind his head.

'Well?' he snapped and he picked it up, shoving it in my face.

'Yeah I've seen it.' I said reluctantly, trying not to look at it.

'The Ministry is very defensive…' he said calculatingly

'Well 67 muggles have just been murdered on _their_ watch! Of course they're going to be sodding _defensive_!'

He looked at me, his eyes black.

'Are you still bleeding?' he said bluntly.

'No.' I sighed. 'I got fixed…'

'By who?'

'….'

'Threston-'

There was a creak at the top of the stairs and we both span around.

'Good Morning children.' drawled Lucius, swaggering down the stairs. 'Have a nice sleep?'

'Perfect.' said Snape, still staring at me. Lucius straightened his green silk pajamas and sat down beside me, casually picking up the paper I'd dropped.

'ohh…..' he smiled, tutting loudly. '_67 muggles die in latest attack_…Why that _is_ a tragedy…'

My fingers clenched as Lucius began to smirk.

'Don't you find it _interesting_ Threston?' he asked me, pointing at the headline.

'Not interesting, just horrific.' I said stiffly and his smirk wavered. 'Why? Do _you_ find it interesting?'

He sat back in his seat, lounging like a cat and curled his lip contentedly.

'_Very_ interesting Threston.' he said, carefully. 'Especially the part the Minister says… However I'm sure he shall soon be _eating_ his words…'

He laughed softly at his little joke but my chest went cold. _Was_ Lucius already a deatheater? Like father like son?

'What do you think Snape?' Lucius asked suddenly but Snape didn't move.

'What do _I_ think…?' he said eventually and his eye twitched.

'Lucius… Harry… Good morning.' murmured a voice behind us and Bellatrix Lestrange slunk over, in her emerald vest top and long satin trousers. She enveloped me in a thin hug from behind and I grimaced.

'Morning.' yawned Regalus, emerging from the boy's stairs looking extremely knackered and flopped down in the spare armchair. 'Any news?'

'A few deaths in the paper.' said Lucius, smirking at me. 'None of any _importance_…' Bellatrix seized the evening prophet and her smile vanished.

'_67_ Lucius?!?' she said in a slightly strangled voice.

'Yes.' he replied happily. 'More than I expected I know…'

He _knew_ they were going to kill those people!?! Those men, those women… _and_ the children…?

Bellatrix fell silent as she read the front cover before looking at Lucius with a shaky grin.

'That's- That's wonderful Lucius…' she said eventually and Regalus snatched it out of her hands looking down in horror.

'What's wrong Regalus?' Lucius asked, noticing his face. 'Not _used_ to the sight of mud blood are you?

'It doesn't look brown to me…' he said quietly so only I could hear him.

'I'm going to get changed.' I said forcefully, unable to take in Lucius's smug grin any longer.

'You go Threston.' said Lucius as though he himself was dismissing me. 'But be down soon. I may pop open that bottle of Champagne Father sent me… This could do with a celebration…'

I span around swiftly but Snape stood up.

'I'll come with you.' he said firmly, grabbing my shoulders and pushing me back. 'Come Threston. I have a corkscrew in my trunk…'

He pushed me all the way back up the stairs, my face turning redder and redder.

'What did you do that for?' I spat as soon as we got to the dorms.

'Why?!?' he hissed, slamming the door behind him.

'Because you ought to realize by now from that practical confession that Lucius is an _extremely_ _dangerous_ _man_!'

'I don't care! Did you see him smiling for God's sake? That's psychotic!'

'Lucius _is_ psychotic!'

'Well it's about time someone did something about it!'

'AND END UP JUST LIKE THOSE MUGGLES?!?'

I fell silent, staring at him. His face was red; his hair still on end and magic was sparking at the end of his wand.

'I thought you were smart Threston…' he whispered clearly. 'But you still never fail to amaze me by your blatant _stupidity_…'

I clenched my fist tightly.

'Look Snape if those people are _happy_ about cold blooded murder then I'm going to stop-'

'You think you have the power to change things Threston!?!' he yelled and I froze.

'Is that why you're here?!? Is that why you came, to try and _change_ them?!?'

'I….I…'

He smiled softly, chuckling under his breath. I stared at him blankly.

'You can't change anything Threston.' he spat, suddenly serious. 'Not Lucius, not anything. The world is how it is and there is _nothing _you can do about it…'

I looked at him blankly and part of what he was saying sank in. He won't change. He was supposed to be in the Order, be Dumbledore's trusted ally… He won't change, not one bit. Peter Pettigrew changed. He changed for the worse. People _always_ seem to change for the worse.

'The only thing that's going to change is _you_ Threston…' he said spitefully. 'You're going to become just like them! I've seen it all before… People start off with their own ideas but they are soon quashed and molded into what the new _revolution_ wants them to be!'

'And what's that?' I said whispered shakily.

He looked me straight in the eyes. Green on black.

'Pureblood.'

Lucius burst into the dorm and Snape looked away.

'Time to get ready.' said Lucius briskly, pinning the front page to the wall beside him and smiling at it. My stomach felt sick.

60 minutes later I sat on my bed, clutching the strap to my bag. My wet hair dripped onto the clean shirt I'd wrenched from my trunk as the Marauders map burnt a hole in my trouser pocket. I thought I'd better keep it on me incase the marauders decided to do a raid on the Slytherin dorms. Though how they could do it is a mystery to me seeing as there's no windows. However these are the boys who made themselves animagi… They'd probably manage it eventually.

'You ready Threston?' asked McNair sharply, hoisting his bag over his back.

'Yeah.' I said distractedly and followed him out the dorm.

Once we got down into the common room the Scottish wizard lead me over to the notice board.

'Scram!' he hissed at a dozen 2nd years and they scattered, leaving the space clear to read. 'Quidditch tryouts!' he said happily, pointing to the largest notice.

I stared at it gloomily. Ha ha…They were looking for a seeker…

'What position are you Threston?' he asked me swiftly and I hesitated.

'Seeker.'

'And what do you know!' he said happily, pointing at the large bold letters 'They're wanting a seeker! You should try out Threston!'

The thought swam in my mind. I guess getting back on a broom might bring a little sunshine to this whole situation… Though on the other hand I'd be playing for sodding _Slytherin_… After telling all these people that house doesn't matter it still does really, talk about hypocrisy.

'You'd have a hard job though…' he said. 'James Potter's the seeker for Gryffindor. He switched from being a chaser early last year…'

'Really?' I was trying not to sound _too _interested. Though in reality my chest had started beating twice as hard…

'Yeah.' he said, deciding to carry on. 'Gryffindor's won the house cup every bloody year with James Potter…Even that year we nearly broke both his legs…' he smiled nostalgically as though remembering a very sweet memory. I coughed loudly and he jumped. 'But I gotta say' he said, puffing out his chest. 'Even though he's a Gryffindor and y'know a _total_ bastard…'

I rolled my eyes and nodded him on. He looked around nervously before speaking.

'He's the best bloody Quidditch player I've seen. I mean for our age…' he searched my face for what I think was _supposed_ to be an outraged reaction. I couldn't help but smile as my chest filled with pride. I couldn't wait to see dad play.

'We get slaughtered every bloody year by Gryffindor and I said to Lucius, I said "Why don't we just kill the bastard? Make it look like an accident?" and he said to me "Dumbledore's too smart and too biased he'll see through it." and I said "Well he won't be _able_ to get biased if Potter ain't gotta head to be biased about!"'

He laughed loudly and I tried to laugh too but failed. He didn't seem to notice anyway.

'Come on Threston.' he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. 'All this talk has made me want my food more…'

He walked out the common room and I followed like a lost sheep, a frown on my face and Snape's words spinning round my head. He'd left before me this morning, packing his bag and taking off. I don't even know if we're still on speaking terms.

'Threston!' said Lucius jovially as I sat down at the Slytherin table. 'You're just in time!'

My eyes widened. Lucius was sat in front of what looked liked a giant toaster.

'What the hell is that?' I said sharply.

'A giant toaster.' said Bellatrix simply. 'What do you think it looks like?'

Fair enough.

'We've decided to take a leaf out of your book Threston' continued Lucius, fiddling with the heat setting. 'If you are not prepared to put up with the Marauders any more, neither are we.'

What?!?

'We want revenge.' grunted Crabbe

'Yeah revenge!' cheered Goyle.

'Lucius…' I said nervously. 'I _really_ don't remember saying I had a problem with the Marauders-'

'Of course you do!' he snapped, organizing an army of 1st years to load the toaster. 'You were right Threston. We should beat them at their own game!'

'I don't remember saying that Lucius-'

'We have managed to find the toaster that the Gryffindors used yesterday, enlarge it to twice its size and steal all the bread and marmalade supply for the whole hall!'

'Ah.'

A small boy poured the last jar of marmalade into the toaster before giving Lucius a small salute. The blonde boy clapped his hands together as everyone moved to a safe distance.

'It's ready…' He said, looking at me with an air of triumph. 'Will you do the honors?'

I looked at him blankly as he got up out of his seat and gestured for me to take it. I hesitated. I don't want to be part of Lucius' stupid plan! I don't particularly want to piss off the Gryffindors anymore than I already have. I've already stolen the Marauder's map, who needs to blast them with toast?

'Go on Threston.' whispered Lucius in my ear. 'I dare you…'

I raised my eyebrows.

'No thanks.'

Lucius hissed softly.

'Are you scared Threston?' asked Bellatrix silkily and I turned to her unconcernedly.

'No. I just thought that since Lucius has gone to all this trouble he might as well be the one to fire it...'

I sat down in the seat next to Narcissa and ripped a large piece of toast in half, stuffing it into my mouth. Lucius's lip twitched as he clenched his fists tighter.

'Will anyone of you cowardly bastards do it?' he hissed and a lot of people stepped forward eagerly. McNair sat down quickly and was about to flick the switch when Lucius swung out a hand 'Wait Walden!' his gaze swung slowly round to finally rest on Snape, sat with his head down a couple of seats away. Snape looked up blankly.

'Will you do it Snape?' Lucius hissed.

Everyone was still, watching Snape.

'Well?!?' Lucius shouted, spraying Snape with spittle.

The greasy boy simply wiped his face with his napkin before turning again to his book,

'It is just as Threston said...' he murmured quietly. 'Since you've gone to all this trouble Lucius, you should be the one to reap the reward…'

The elder Malfoy smiled softly before leaning over so he was inches away from Snape.

'Coward.' he hissed and Snape stiffened. 'You're a coward Severus. You let those Gryffindor buffoons walk all over you and now you are too scared to do anything about it…You are the most _gutless_ wizard I have ever-'

'No I am not.' hissed Snape and alarm bells went off in my head.

'Well prove it!'

Snape suddenly stood up and I moved forward quickly.

'Snape don't-!'

But it was too late, Snape's hand shot out as he lunged for the switch on the side of Lucius' home made breakfast bomb. 600 kg of compressed toast and marmalade exploded out of the toaster. The force of it blasted the toaster backwards and I pushed Snape down letting it slam into the wall behind.

The rest of the hall weren't so lucky. The shells of bread hit people's heads and bodies with such force that it bowled most over as though they'd been hit by metal not a mixture of flour, water and yeast. The marmalade splattered across peoples clothing, ruining many a uniform and bruising many a head.

'Shit…' I whispered as the hall broke into absolute chaos.

Me and Snape stared at Lucius beside us who was grinning like a loon.

'Did you see their faces?!?' McNair howled but we still stared at Lucius in total shock.

'_Shit_ Lucius…' I said weakly staring at the blitzed hall.

'I thought you were used to power Threston.' he said calmly, surveying the hall with unfazed eyes. 'I thought you of all people would have been able to handle it.'

'You could have killed someone Lucius.' I yelled as Snape stood up beside me.

'No.' spat Lucius, turning to Snape. '_He_ could have killed someone!'

I stood up to hit him when a firm hand gripped my shoulder.

'WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?

McGonnagol.

'Well?!?' she screeched and I gulped hard.

BANG!

The toaster fell to the floor, leaving a large dent in the stone behind us. The Scottish teacher actually seemed to growl before grabbing me, Lucius and Snape by our ears and dragging us out of the hall.

'I hope you're happy!' I hissed, my head clashing against Lucius'.

'Don't worry Threston.' he spat back as McGonagall screeched at Snape. 'We shall not be punished for this. Mark my words, we shall _not_!'

I looked at him in confusion but the Scottish teacher gripped our ears even tighter and I was forced to follow her to our awaited unfortunate fate...

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Hey ! I am so sorry i haven't updated in weeks and weeks and weeks! I've had exams and work experiance and a whole lot of crap that cropped up! Plus writers block yatatata. Well I'm back and after the exams are finished i'll probs be writing a lot more! (Fingers crossed) So keep reading! _**AND REVIEWING!**_ cos seriously that's what keeps me going! (Thanx people :) )

Ellie

xoxoxo

PURPLE BOX!! PURPLE BOX!!


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